Sunar
Hindu and Sikh caste of goldsmiths in India
title: "Sunar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["goldsmith-castes", "social-groups-of-rajasthan", "social-groups-of-uttar-pradesh", "social-groups-of-haryana", "social-groups-of-bihar", "social-groups-of-jharkhand"] description: "Hindu and Sikh caste of goldsmiths in India" topic_path: "general/goldsmith-castes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Hindu and Sikh caste of goldsmiths in India ::
::data[format=table title="infobox caste"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| caste_name | Sunar/Sonar |
| region | India |
| religions | Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam |
| :: |
| caste_name = Sunar/Sonar | caste_name_in_local = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | kula_daivat = | region = India | religions = Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam The Sunar (alternately**, Swarnkar, Soni, Sonar, Sonkar**) is a caste in India. The Sunar community works as traders of gold or as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and found all over India. In the state of Haryana, Muslim Sunars are on the Other Backward Class list and Hindu Sunars are Scheduled Castes.
Etymology
The term Swarnkar may derive from the Sanskrit suvarna kār, "worker in gold".
The Swarnkar are still involved in their traditional occupation, that is being goldsmiths. There is however a steady process in taking up other occupations, and the community in Haryana and Punjab as whole is fairly successful, having produced several professionals.
Social status
The Sunars are generally considered a part of Vaishya varna.
Factions
The Sunars are divided into a large number of territorial and non-territorial groupings called alla. Some of the major alla are the Jhankhad, Santanpuriya, Lal sultaniya, Dekhalantiya, Mundaha, Bhigahiya, kulthiya, Parajiya, Samuhiya, Chilliya, Katiliya Kalidarwa, Naubastwal, Berehele, Gedehiya, Shahpuriya, Mathureke Paliya, Katkaria and Nimkheriya, Vaibhaha. Each lineage is associated with a particular area. To which its ancestors belonged to. The Sunars use Soni, Swarnkar, Verma, Wadichar, Saraf, Shah, Sonik, Singh etc. as their surnames. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, the community is also known as Soni. In Haryana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnkar, Soni, Suri and Verma, are their common surname. In Sindh they are called Sonaro, In Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, Mair community work as goldsmiths.
Sunar in Nepal
Sunar (Sunar in the Nepal census) Sunar surname is used by khas of Nepal . And also use by subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 64,335 people (0.2% of the population of Nepal) were Sunar.
Notable members
- Raj Babbar Film Actor & Politician
- Gurpreet Singh, Artist is an internationally recognized painting artist.
- Parmish Verma Punjabi Singer & Performer
References
References
- KS Singh. (1998). "India's communities Volume 6". OUP.
- ''People of Tiben'': Lhasa (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150
- "List of Backward Classes {{!}} Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes, Government of Haryana".
- R.V. Russell. (October 1995). "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India". Published Under the Orders of the Central Provinces Administration, Macmillan and Co., Limited St. Martin's Street, London. 1916.
- ''People of India'': Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books
- ''People of India'': Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500
- ''People of India'': Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books
- [https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II]
- (14 July 2016). "Why Congress chose Raj Babbar to lead party in UP elections".
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