Chaturtha

Chaturtha चतुर्थ is the biggest community (endogamous group) of Digambara Jains. According to the Digambar Jain Directory of 1914, at that time they outnumbered Agrawals and Khandelwals.^[1]

The name Chaturth derives from Kshatraru, the Kannada word for Sankrit Kshatriy.

Chaturthas are spread all over southern and western Maharashtra and northern Karnataka.^[2]

Chaturths are bilinguals, originally Kannada speakers, but now speak both Kannada and Marathi at home.^[3]

Maharashtra has the largest population of Jains of any single state in India.^[4]

Agriculture was traditionally the primary occupation among Chaturthas, but the increase in education has allowed them to branch out into fields such as teaching, medicine, business, industries, government and private services. Some of them have been Kasar.^[5]

Religious head

Bhattarka Jinasena of the Kolhapur Jain Math has traditionally served as the religious authority among the Chaturthas.^[6]

Distinguished Chaturthas

• Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale Founder of Shetkari Sahakari Sakar Karkhana Sangli
• Acharya Shantisagar
• Karmveer Bhaurao Patil Founder of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Asia's biggest educational institution.
• Acharya Vidyasagar
• Raju Shetty Leader of cultivators, Member of Parliament elected in 2009
• Appa Bhau Magdum Noted Marathi writer, poet, Publisher and social reformer

Religious organizations

The Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha is a religious and social service organization of the Jains of South India. The organization is headquartered at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.^[7] The association is credited with being one of the first Jain associations to start reform movements among the Jains in modern India.^[8][9] The organization mainly seeks to represent the interests of the native Jains of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.

Photo gallery

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  Acharya Vidyasagar

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  Jain temple in Kumbhoj

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  Office of the Hindi Granth Karyalay, Mumbai, publishers of books on Jainism

See also

• Jainism in Mumbai
• Jainism in Maharashtra
• Jainism in North Karnataka
• Jainism in Karnataka
• Acharya Shantisagar
• Acharya Vidyasagar

References

1. Digambar Jain Directory, 1914
2. People of India. By Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Bhanu, Anthropological Survey of India. Published 2004. Page 435. ISBN 81-7991-100-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=DEAlCTxJowUC&pg=PA435&lpg=PA435&dq=chaturtha&source=web&ots=Bvny97vViV&sig=HSbqFEubU9tIRqDWP63E4UG-f7M Google books link
3. Maharashtra Ka Jain Samaj. By Mahavir Sanglikar
4. Sangave, Vilas. Aspects of Jainism. Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanapitha, 1997
5. The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions By Syed Siraj ul Hassan, Published 1989 Asian Educational Services
6. Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Papers, Ed. Appasaheb Ganapatrao Pawar, Kolhapur (Princely State), Published 1978 Shahu Research Institute
7. People of India: Maharashtra - Kumar Suresh Singh - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
8. The Assembly of Listeners: Jains in Society - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
9. A World Religions Reader - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.