Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 13, 2026

Balai

The Balai, Raj Balai, Balahi, or Bunkar are a people and an Indian caste. They live in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

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Balai
Weaving, the traditional occupation of Balais
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesNimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati
CountryIndia
Original stateRajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
Population2,668,000 (2011)
Related groupsSalvi, Meghwal, Koli people

The Balai, Raj Balai, Balahi, or Bunkar are a people and an Indian caste. They live in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.123

Balais are generally Hindus.2345 The official categorization of the caste varies from state to state as a scheduled caste or other backward caste.6789

Balais speak languages including Nimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati.10

According to the 2011 census of India, there are 2,668,000 Balais in India.11

Balais as weavers

The Balai caste is a functional caste of weavers; historically, they were engaged in the work of weaving.121314

"Balai" is a transliteration of the Hindi word बुनाई, which means "weaving".412 They are also known as "Bunkar", meaning "weaver".121314

In the varna system, Balais belong to the vaishya.151617

Raj Balais

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

Beliefs

Balais are generally Hindus. They are devotees of Durga, Chamunda and Kalaratri;18 they consider Kalaratri as their kuladevi (tutelary deity).19 They also pay tribute to Ramdev Pir.19 Balais are divided into a number of gotras, including Chouhan, Rathore, Parihar, Parmar, Solanki, Brejwal, Bunker,3 Marichi, Atri, August, Bhardwaj, Matang, Dhaneshwar, Mahachand, Jogchand, Jogpal, Meghpal, Garva, and Jaipal.20 Balais do not marry within their families or their gotra.21 They live in multi-caste villages, and they bury their dead.22

Balais are traditionally non-vegetarian as they believe in bali (animal sacrifice). As part of worshiping Kalaratri, Balai perform animal sacrifices.2123

Jainism

In 1964, Jain Shravak Sangha preached to the Balai, near Ratlam, in the village Guradia. Sangha gave Dharampal Jain Samaj to the Balai in the name of Dharmanatha.2425

Around 125,000 people of the Malviya and Gujarati Balai communities are Dharampal Jains.2425

Associations with other peoples

Sometimes, the Balai are referred to as Julaha or Meghwal.1926 Originally, most Balais associated themselves with the Meghwal community.272829

In the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the Balai are associated with the Meghwal people due to their various cultural similarities; for example, both engage in the work of handicrafts and embroidery.273031

References

References

  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. General, India Office of the Registrar (1962). Census of India, 1961. Manager of Publications. p. 14.
  4. 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.
  5. Tilonia®. "Artisans". Tilonia®. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  6. Proceedings of the British Academy. British Academy. 2010. ISBN 978-0-19-726451-5.
  7. Kumar, Ashutosh (December 2016). Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions Within Regions. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-315-39145-8.
  8. Devi, Rama (21 March 2025). Caste and Emancipatory Quest: Ethnography of Dalits in an Urban Neighborhood. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-96-0832-4.
  9. Sahgal, Kelsey Jo Starr and Neha (29 June 2021). "Measuring caste in India". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  10. "Regional Languages". Legislative Department of India. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  11. "Census of India 2011: Population, Literacy, Density, Sex Ratio and other information". Education for All in India. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  12. 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.
  13. Commissioner, India Census (1902). Census of India, 1901: North-Western Frontier Provinces and Oudh (3 v.). Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
  14. Cittauṛagaṛha (in Hindi). Javāhara Kalā Kendra. 1994.
  15. "9. Caste System in Ancient India". Florida State College at Jacksonville Pressbooks.
  16. Moulik, T. K. (1982). Deogarh's Profiles: Rural Development for Rural Poor. Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management.
  17. "Harish Chandra Bunkar Balai vs The Board Of Revenue Ajmer And Ors". latestlaws.com. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  18. "Hinduism Basics". Hindu American Foundation. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  19. Singh, K. S. (1998). People of India: Rajasthan (2 pts.). Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-7154-766-1.
  20. Bhartiya, Ranjeet (25 July 2023). बलाई समाज गोत्र,सामाजिक संरचना में गोत्रों की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका है. Jankari Today. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  21. "Hinduism Doctrine and Beliefs". Hindu Council of Australia. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  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. जैन संत की प्रेरणा से देशभर में मालवीय और गुजराती बलाई समाज के सवा लाख लोगों ने छोड़ा दुर्व्यसन. bhaskar.com.
  25. Śānti (Muni.) (1982). Antarpatha ke yātrī Ācārya Śrī Nāneśa (in Hindi). Śrī A. Bhā. Sādhumārgī Jaina Saṅgha.
  26. Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1900). House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: Bills. H.M. Stationery Office.
  27. Singh, K. S. (1993). The Scheduled Castes. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563254-5.
  28. Snodgrass, Jeffrey G. (10 August 2006). Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-804140-5.
  29. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). People of India: India's communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  30. 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.
  31. 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.