Jain communities

Common card · No. 363397

The Jain community, or Jains, are the followers of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion. Although they constitute a small demographic minority—representing approximately 0.4% of the Indian population—the community is recognized as one of the most literate and wealthiest groups in the country. Jains are predominantly urbanized within India and maintain a notable global diaspora across regions such as North America, Europe, and East Africa. Traditionally, the community is structured as a symbiotic "four-fold order" (chaturvidha sangha) that comprises male and female monastics (muni and aryika) alongside laymen and laywomen (śrāvaka and śrāvikā). Religiously, the community is primarily divided into two major sectarian traditions—the Digambara and Śvetāmbara—which split over historical differences in monastic discipline and canonical scripture. Socially, the Jain laity has historically organized itself around regional affiliations and the caste system (Jāti), with caste councils historically...

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