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Balai

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(Redirected from Bhalay language)
For other uses, see Balai (disambiguation).

Balai
Traditional occupation of Balais
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesNimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati
CountryIndia
Original stateMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh
Related groupsSalvi, Koli

The Balai, Raj Balai,Balahi,Bunkar, or Sutarkar are found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in India.[1][2][3] Category of Balai or Bunkar caste may vary from state to state as scheduled caste(SC) or Other backward caste(OBC).[4][5][6][7]

Balai as weavers

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Balai is a transliteration of the Hindi word बुनाई. The word means weaving.[8][9] Weaving is the traditional occupation of Balais.[10]

According to Hindu texts, all weavers in Hinduism are the descendants of Rishi Mrikanda.[11] Mrikanda is known as the father of modern weaving.

Bunkar(weaver) is a suitable name for the caste of balai as it represent the exact character and both are referred to be same, they belong to the vaishya caste/varna,they work in weaving or selling.[12][13][14][15]

Jainism

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Jain Shravak Sangha preached to the Balai community in 1964, near Ratlam, in the village Guradia. Jain Shravak Sangha gave Dharampal Jain Samaj to the Balai community, in the name of Dharmanatha. About 1.25 lakh people of the Malviya and Gujarati Balai communities are Dharampal Jains.[16][17]

Raj Balai

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Historically, the Raj Balais were royal messengers. They used to convey messages from one kingdom to another kingdom in ancient times. Raj means royal, therefore the Balais who was engaged in such royal services called Raj Balais.[3]

Beliefs

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Balai are Hindus by religion. They are devotees of Maa Durga, Maa Chamunda and Maa Kalaratri.[18] They also pay tribute to Baba Ramdeo Ji and consider Kalarati as their kuldevi.[19] Balais do not marry in their families or within their gotra.[20] Balais are divided into a number of gotras such as Chouhan, Rathore, Parihar, Parmar, Solanki, Brejwal, Bunker[3] Marichi, Atri, August, Bhardwaj, Matang, Dhaneshwar, Mahachand, Jogchand, Jogpal, Meghpal, Garva and Jaipal.[21] They live in multi-caste villages in their own areas and bury their dead.[22]

Balais are traditionally non-vegetarian as they believe in bali (animal sacrifice). Animal sacrifice is the part of worshiping Maa Durga and Kalaratri.[20][23]

History

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The Balai or Balahi caste is a functional caste of weavers and village chowkidars/kotwals. Historically they were the part of Koli/Kori community, which was engaged in works like fishing and weaving, and as further when a group separately moved towards into weaving work alone, they were given the weaving related names of Balai or Bunkar, because of the events balai caste is count as an offshoot of koli/kori community.[24][25][26][27]

In Rajasthan and Gujarat states of India they are specifically associated with Meghwal community due to their various cultural similarities like handicrafts and embroidery work.[28][29][30]

Population

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According to the 2011 census of India, there are 2,668,000 Balais in India.[31]

Language

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Balais speak languages including Nimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati.[32]

Other

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Sometimes, Balai is referred to as Julaha and Meghwal.[19][33] Originally, most Balais associated themselves with the Meghwal community.[34][35][28]

Frequently ask question and myths -

  • Is balai or balahi caste similar to Chamar(jatav) caste ? , No they both are completely distinct caste of different work and culture, they are not same.[36][37]
  • Is balai and meghwal same ? ,yes in some cases.

References

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  1. ^ Nesfield, John Collinson (1885). Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885. North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press.
  2. ^ Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
  3. ^ a b c General, India Office of the Registrar (1962). Census of India, 1961. Manager of Publications. p. 14.
  4. ^ Proceedings of the British Academy. British Academy. 2010. ISBN 978-0-19-726451-5.
  5. ^ Kumar, Ashutosh (December 2016). Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions Within Regions. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-315-39145-8.
  6. ^ Devi, Rama (21 March 2025). Caste and Emancipatory Quest: Ethnography of Dalits in an Urban Neighborhood. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-96-0832-4.
  7. ^ Sahgal, Kelsey Jo Starr and Neha (29 June 2021). "Measuring caste in India". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  8. ^ Mayer, Adrian (28 July 2023). Caste and Kinship in Central India: A Village and its Region. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-31349-1.
  9. ^ Nesfield, John Collinson (1885). Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885. North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press.
  10. ^ Cittauṛagaṛha (in Hindi). Javāhara Kalā Kendra. 1994.
  11. ^ "The Powerful Bhrigu Rishi". Glorious Hinduism. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  12. ^ "9. Caste System in Ancient India". Florida State College at Jacksonville Pressbooks.
  13. ^ Moulik, T. K. (1982). Deogarh's Profiles: Rural Development for Rural Poor. Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management.
  14. ^ "SH18841594: Hindu, Hindi, Scheduled Caste (SC), Bride from Jaipur, India". www.shaadi.com. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Harish Chandra Bunkar Balai vs The Board Of Revenue Ajmer And Ors". latestlaws.com. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  16. ^ जैन संत की प्रेरणा से देशभर में मालवीय और गुजराती बलाई समाज के सवा लाख लोगों ने छोड़ा दुर्व्यसन. bhaskar.com.
  17. ^ Śānti (Muni.) (1982). Antarpatha ke yātrī Ācārya Śrī Nāneśa (in Hindi). Śrī A. Bhā. Sādhumārgī Jaina Saṅgha.
  18. ^ "Hinduism Basics". Hindu American Foundation. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  19. ^ a b Singh, K. S. (1998). People of India: Rajasthan (2 pts.). Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-7154-766-1.
  20. ^ a b "Hinduism Doctrine and Beliefs". Hindu Council of Australia. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  21. ^ Bhartiya, Ranjeet (25 July 2023). बलाई समाज गोत्र,सामाजिक संरचना में गोत्रों की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका है. Jankari Today. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  22. ^ Naik, Shambhavi (8 February 2020). "The scientific argument for marrying outside your caste". ThePrint. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  23. ^ "7. Religious practices". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  24. ^ Commissioner, India Census (1933). Census of India, 1931: Gwalior. pt. 1. Report, by R. Lal. 1933. Manager of Publications.
  25. ^ Pacific Affairs. University of British Columbia. 1952.
  26. ^ Commissioner, India Census (1902). Census of India, 1901: North-Western Frontier Provinces and Oudh (3 v.). Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
  27. ^ India, Central (1908). The Central India State Gazetteer Series. Thacker, Spink.
  28. ^ a b Singh, K. S. (1993). The Scheduled Castes. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563254-5.
  29. ^ Hiltebeitel, Alf (May 1999). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi Among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-34050-0.
  30. ^ Patel, Vibhuti; Mondal, Nandita (25 March 2022). Gendered Inequalities in Paid and Unpaid Work of Women in India. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-16-9974-0.
  31. ^ "Census of India 2011: Population, Literacy, Density, Sex Ratio and other information". Education for All in India. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  32. ^ "Regional Languages". Legislative Department of India. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  33. ^ Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1900). House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: Bills. H.M. Stationery Office.
  34. ^ Snodgrass, Jeffrey G. (10 August 2006). Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-804140-5.
  35. ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). People of India: India's communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  36. ^ Balfour, Edward (1885). The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: Commercial, Industrial, and Scientific. Bernard Quaritch.
  37. ^ Naik, C. D. (2003). Thoughts and Philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 978-81-7625-418-2.
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