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| Chandayya Heggade• Manjayya Heggade • Ratnavarma Heggade Veerendra Heggade•Abbakka Rani • V. Dhananjay Kumar |
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This article is part of a series on Jainism |
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| Anekāntavāda · Syādvāda · Nayavāda · Jain Cosmology · Ahimsa · Karma · Dharma · Nirvana · Kevala Jñāna · Mokṣa · Dravya · Navatattva · Asteya · Aparigraha · Dharma · Gunasthana · Samsara | |
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| The 24 Tirthankaras · Rishabha · Mahavira · Acharya · Ganadhara · Siddhasena Divakara · Haribhadra | |
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| Digambara · Śvētāmbara | |
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| Kalpa Sūtra · Āgama · Tattvartha Sutra · Sanmatti Prakaran | |
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| Namokar Mantra · Parasparopagraho_Jivanam · Jain symbol · Jain flag · Timeline · Topics list | |
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| Mahavir Jayanti · Paryushana · Diwali | |
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Jainism Portal |
The Jain Bunt (Tulu: ಜೈನ್ ಬಂಟರ) are a Jain community of erstwhile nobility and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the southwest of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and the Kasaragod taluk of Kerala.[3] The Jain Bunts are traditionally defined as a distinctive subdivision of the Bunt community.[4][5] They are a classified forward caste, and according to the Indian census of 2001, though not specifically mentioning the Jain Bunts, it was found that people who follow Jainism in India have the highest literacy rate, 94.1% compared with the national average of 65.38%.[6] They have the highest female literacy rate, 90.6% compared with the national average of 54.16%.[6] It is believed that the Jains also have the highest per capita income in India.[6] The Jain Bunts are traditionally matrilineal and probably the only Jains to do so.[3] The Jain Bunts have a feudal and martial heritage, and many erstwhile royalty of the Tulu Nadu region were Jain Bunts.[7] In Karnataka, people who follow Jainism formed 0.78% of the population, according to 2001 census. However, the majority of Jains in Karnataka today are recent migrants from North India. The Jain Bunts are a minority, even among this population. However, their exact number is largely unavailable. It is estimated they are less than 50,000 in number.
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The Jain bunts are a distinctive subdivision of the Bunt community. The subdivision arose when some Bunt feudatories embraced or assimilated Jain Traditions in their ancestral Hindu faith under the influence of the Hoysala Emperors. The conversion to Jainism among Bunt feudatories was a matter of political convenience, and throughout history conversion to Jainism from Hinduism and vice versa existed among the Bunts. Regarding this phenomenon Ethnographer Edgar Thurston writes[5] "It is probable that during the political supremacy of the Jains, a much larger proportion of the Bunts professed adherence to that religion than nowadays." Also it must be mentioned that the dividing line between Hinduism and Jainism in the Tulu Nadu region is rather obscure, and Jain Bunts follow all Hindu customs, in fact many of them are hereditary trustees and administrators of Hindu Temples. The most famous example would be that of the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple, whose hereditary administrators are the Pergade family, who are also the erstwhile feudal lords of the temple town of Dharmasthala and use the title Heggade.[8]
The Jain Bunt are Digambaras. Achieving moksa or liberation is the highest goal of life for the Jains. Jain ascetics and renouncers of worldly life are highly revered, especially Bahubali, a king who turned into an ascetic. His virtues are greatly extolled in legends. Huge, monolithic statues have been erected by the Jain Bunts in his honor throughout their recorded history.[9] The oldest among them is located in Karkala. Standing about 42 feet tall, it was erected by the Jain Bunts as per the wishes of a pontiff named Lalitakeerti in 1432. Another statue of Bahubali standing about 35 feet was erected in Venur in 1604 by the Jain Bunt ruler Timma Ajila. The most recently erected statue lies in Dharmasthala and is about 39 feet tall. Mahamastakabhisheka rituals are held once in 12 years at the site of these statues. Basadi (shrines or temples) are numerous in the region and were built by various Jain Bunt rulers. The most famous among them is the Saavira Kambada Basadi located in Moodabidri.[7] Jain Bunts are strictly vegetarian and do not consume anything after sunset. As is Jain custom, they also abstain from eating vegetables that grow below the ground.
The most unique feature of Jain Bunts is that they follow Matrilineal inheritance called Aliya Katt in Tulu. This is in sharp contrast to other Jain communities. Jains attribute their matrilineality to Bhutala Pandya, a legendary king of unknown antiquity.
Along with Hindu gods and Jain Tirthankar, Jain Bunts worship spirit deities which are of both Puranic and local origins. They spirit deities are seen as protectors. Annual ritual dances called Bhuta Kola or Dharma Da Nema are performed in the honor of them. A spirit deity called Annappa Panjurli, who is widely revered in the Tulu region, is associated with the Jains and the highly revered Dharmasthala Temple, which is managed by a Jain Bunt family called the Pergades, the members of which use the title of Heggade. The eldest male member of this family inherits the position of Dharmadhikari - the one who dispenses justice on behalf of Lord Manjunatha and Goddess Ammanavaru, the main deities of the temple. The succession to the post of Dharmadikari is according to the laws of matrilineality called Aliya Santana Katt.
Jain Bunts greatly revere the cobras. They are considered to be sacred creatures and embodiment of Hindu serpent deities like Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka etc. These snake gods are worshipped in sacred groves called Naga Bana. Rituals of Nagaradhane are performed in honor of them.,
The surname of the Jain Bunts are the same as the rest of the Bunts which number about 100. The most common as Heggade or Hegde, Shetty, Alva, Ajila, Arasa etc. Some might even use the suffix Jain or Jaini as a last name[10][11][12]
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