Introduction

Bania Community is the community of occupational bankers, moneylenders and dealers of grain, butter, groceries and spices. It is a conglomeration of people from different castes who were bunched in a single group because of their profession dealing in grain. Bania community is mainly residing in the Western Province of India, and here they are called as Vania or Vani.

Etymology of Bania Community

The name of Bania community has been derived from Sanskrit term "Vanij", meaning a merchant. Bania caste is also known as "Chettiar" in Tamil language, "Sud" in Punjabi language and "Komati" in Telugu language. The term "Mahajan" is used to signify a banker or moneylender; "Seth" indicates a great merchant or capitalist, and these two terms are applied to Banias as a prefix.

The term "Vanik" is often used to refer to members of trading communities. In Bengal, the word "Bania" serves as a broad, functional label encompassing a range of occupations such as moneylending, indigenous banking, and the selling of groceries and spices, without strict regard to caste distinctions. In Maharashtra, a similar term, "Vani," commonly refers to traders or moneylenders, many of whom belong to the Kunbi caste. During the colonial period, Europeans broadly used the term "Banyan" to describe local traders, regardless of their specific community or profession.

Society and Religion of Bania Community

Bania community have a distinctive social status. They have several endogamous groups and minor sub-castes that are formed by migration, differ greatly in different provinces. The Banias have forty sub-castes almost all being further divided into the Visa (twenty), Dasa (ten) and Pancha (five). Amongst these the first is said to be the highest in the Vania social order. Though the members of the Visa and Dasa eat together, they do not intermarry and neither has the type of association with the Pancha. Most of these sub-castes comprise an intricate system of exogamy.

The Bania community claims to be Vaishya because they still have Mahajans and trade guilds, which are referred to in Sanskrit literature. There are 38 endogamous divisions of the caste and 5 have Jain sections known as "Shravaks", the others being the "Meshris".

Diverse sub-groups of Bania community includes Agarwal, Khandelwal, Maheshwari, Oswal, Porwad, and Shrimali Baniyas, among others. Historically, the Gujarati Baniya population was classified into 84 subdivisions, similar to the Gujarati Brahmins though many of these divisions were more symbolic than practical and date back to at least the 15th century.

In Rajasthan, Baniyas with elevated social standing often adopted the title Mahajan to reflect their prestige. Beyond Rajasthan, many from these trading groups were referred to as Marwaris, a term that, while widely associated with merchant communities, technically applied to individuals from various castes within the Marwar region. The Gujarati and Rajasthani Baniyas, due to their long-standing role in commerce, came to represent the archetypal Indian merchant, and their influence was so significant that other non-Baniya trading communities were sometimes collectively labeled as Baniyas.

Profession of Bania Community

The Bania community has a well defined traditional occupation, which is followed by most members of every sub-caste. They are engaged largely in the traditional Bania"s profession and deal in grain and money. Around 60 per cent of the Banias are engaged in this trade.

Culture of Bania Community

Culture of Bania community is rich and very colourful. Banias are staunch adherents of the Vallabhacharya sect. It is believed they were converted to this faith some 450 years ago. In almost every Bania home, there is a puja room or a corner where the images and idols of worship are placed. They are very religious people.

Culturally, Baniyas are traditionally vegetarian, though dietary restrictions vary among different sects. Known for their industrious nature, the community has also been deeply rooted in religious practices. Their spiritual life often reflects the values of both Jainism and Vaishnavite Hinduism, with overlapping rituals, ceremonies, and daily prayers. Followers of Pushtimarg Vaishnavism, for instance, engage in emotional devotion (seva) to Lord Krishna, while Jain Baniyas lead ascetic lives in accordance with Jain principles. Worship of the goddess Lakshmi holds special significance, with Lakshmi Puja performed to invoke prosperity and wellbeing for the household.

Costumes of Bania Community

They dress in colourful clothes which vary in different regions, the main variations being in north Gujarat, Kathiawar and Surat. When going out men usually wear a dhoti, a jacket called "Badan" or a cotton coat called "Angrakha" and a shoulder cloth called "Pichodi". In Kutch District and Kathiawar, some wear a large Rajputana type turban. Those in north and central Gujarat wear the tightly folded cylindrical turban with numerous folds in front and several coils at the back. The men and women of Bania community are very fond of jewellery. Men from affluent families wear a silver girdle and a gold armlet above the elbow and the richer they get, the more they add to their personal adornment. The women wear gold jewellery often set with pearls. They also wear earrings, nose-rings, necklaces, armlet above the left elbow, bangles of glass and ivory, silver anklets and silver toe-rings.