An Explorative Review of the Socio-Cultural Life of the Sarak Community in Bindapathar Village, Jharkhand

In several western districts of Jharkhand, such as Dhanbad, Bokaro, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jamtara, and Dumka, adjoining the state of West Bengal, there still exist in very small numbers members of the ancient and traditional Sarak Jain community. Scattered references to this numerically minor yet historically significant group are found only in a few rare sources. Among their present habitations, the village of Bindapathar in Jamtara district deserves particular attention. A field survey was conducted there on 18 December 2023 under a major project funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Based on empirical data collected during this investigation, the present paper seeks to offer a sociological description and analysis of various aspects of the local Sarak people’s lives, such as the pattern and diversity of their economic arrangements, the internal and external structure of their households, social behaviour and customs, and religious practices. The study thus represents an effort to delineate, in a systematic and interpretive manner, the socio-economic and cultural portrait of this little-known community.