Mandowat is a sub-gotra of the gotra Sambhar (Chattur).

Dr. Shyamlal Mandowat

Dr. Shyamlal Mandowat son of Shri Ganeshlal was born 25th April 1949 at Udaipur. He completed his Ph.D. (Economics) and joined Government college, Baran (Kota). After some time he left the teaching profession and started jewellery business. He participated in as many as 110 International Exhibitions mostly in U.S.A., U.K., Brunie, Malaysia, Japan, Hongkong and in India. At all these places he sold diamond and gold jewellery.

He was General Secretary of Forum of free Enterprises.

Meditia Shri Sumermal –Jodhpur

He was born on 21st Sept. 1921; he was one of the founders of Mahaveer Bhavan, Jodhpur (Jain Sehanak). He is the member of Vardhman Sthanakvasi Jain Shravak Sangh. He was elected its President two times. He was also General Secretary of Oswal Singh Sabha, Jodhpur. He is also attached with so many societies.

DIVISION OF OSWALS BANE :

Oswal caste is like a grand Bunyan tree, which has a thousand gotras (branches).

Oswals came into existence before 2462 years. They were named in V. 222but the community came to be divided in four divisions (Bissa, Dassa, Pancha and Dhaiya). We have published a list of Oswal gotras in this book. This list has more than 3200 gotras. Every gotra has this division. There are many heresies about the basis/causes of its division.

1.      According to Bombay Gazette : Those Oswals settled in Gujrat were named ‘Dassa’ and the rest are ‘Bissa’. But it does not seen true because almost 50% of Gujrat Oswals are ‘Bissa’. The statement, therefore, cannot be correct.

2.      It is said that Vaishyas were born from the nevel of the Goddes Mahalakshmi. Thoses who born from the right side were ‘Bissa’ and who were born from the left side were named ‘Dassa’. But it is not worthy of credence.

3.      Those sects who had all the 20 ‘Guns’ were named Bissa and the rest were named ‘Dassa’ The ‘Guns’ in any of the gotras are not the same.

4.      Those Oswals who gave much money in charity were named ‘Bissas’ and the rest were ‘Dassas’. But this is not a proper classification.

5.      Those families who first adopted the cult and became Oswals were name ‘Bissas’ and who joined them later were named ‘Dassas’. There are many gotras which were created later and yet they are ‘Bissas’ then how far can this thesis be correct?

6.      According to ‘Rajasthan ki Jatiyan’ written by Bajranglal Lohiya (1954). Those Oswals who originated from Osiyan were named ‘Bissas’ and the rest wer named ‘Dassas’. Only 18 gotras were first created in Osiyan and then their 480 sub-gotras were created. All the other gotras and their sub-gotras were created from other places. The division of ‘Dassa’ and ‘Bissa’ is found in all the gotras, then how far can this view be correct?

7.      According to Muni Shri Gyansunderji Maharaj the division came into existence in the 13th century.

8.      According to the ‘Jain Gotra Sangrah’ written by pt. Hiralal Hansraj all the Oswals, Porvals and Shrimals were ‘Bissas’. Whenever any person got married in other caste, the sons of the kept wife were named ‘Dassa’ ‘Bissa’ and ‘Dassa’ has no blood relation.

9.      This division is also found in Malva. Central India, Barar and Gujrat. It is so said that those whose father or mother were other than Oswal, were named ‘Dassa’. It is  further said that, in ‘Dassa’ again, if anybody got married in other caste, then his children were named ‘Pancha’ and ‘Dhaiya’ respectively.

10.  It is also heresay that a Thakur invited all the Oswals in a feast. Non-veg people were also invited there and were served non-veg meals. Those persons who ate there were named ‘Dassas’ and the rest were named ‘Bissas’.

11.  According to the ‘Prabandh Chintamani’ written by the Acharya Shri Merutung Suri, there was once a Porval Akshay Raj. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the King of anhilpur Pattan. Once Acharya Shri Haribhadra Suri arrived in the city of Anhilpur Pattan. When the Acharya was delivering his discourse, Princess Kumardevi daughter of the Chalukiya King Amraj came to listen to the discourse. By chance Akshayraj was also there. The Princess was very beautiful. The Acharya’s sight fell on the princess, again and again. After the discourse, when the Acharya went into the chamber, a few shravaks went inside with Akshayraj and blamed the Acharya for his wrongful act. The Acharya said, “I am not wrong, that girl will give birth to two ‘Gems’, who will do a great service to the cause of expansion of Jainism. I have read her fate on her forehead. This apart she is just my mother to me.”

Shravaks said, “Sir, you are wrong. This Princess has been a widow since her childhood. So she cannot marry, then how is it possible for her to give birth to sons?”

The Acharya said, ‘I cannot be wrong, and time will tell you this truth.’ Akshayraj thought that the statement of the Acharya cannot be wrong, hence if I marry her, then I would be the father of two ‘Gems’. So some how or the other he managed to marry her, and in due course she gave birth to Vastpal and Tejpal. These two brothers were the ministers of Anhilpur Pattan. They built hundreds of Jain temples and gave hundreds of feasts. They also installed thousand of Jain deities.

Once, after the renovation of the Delvara Temple of Mouni Abu he arranged a grand feast. All Jains were invited from all over the country. It is said that an old lady blamed the arrangers of the feast and that the feast was not eatable. Vastpal and Tejpal accepted that the comment of the honourable old lady was correct, because their mother was a child widower. In the situation it was decided by the ‘Oswal Singh Sabha’ that those person who ate the feast, be named ‘Dassa’ (the lower class), and the rest be called ‘Bissa’ (the upper class).