Bhanushali

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Bhanushali is a Hindu community. The majority reside in Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Some are also found in the Saurashtra region and other parts of Gujarat.^[1] Some have also moved to Thane and Mumbai region of Maharashtra. They speak Kutchi language.

Bhanushalis are believed to be originated from a mythical king named Bhanusal, meaning Bhanu (Sun) and Sali (worshipers) i.e. worshipers of the sun god. The community was also known as Vegusor/Vagar after the place of Vegukot or Vegugad in Rann of Kutch.^[2]

Bhanushalis are mainly divided in to two sections, i.e Kutchi Bhanushalis and Sindhi Bhanushalis. The later are non-vegetarian, thats why inter marriages are avoided. Bhanusalis have 96 exogamous sub divisions, some of them are: Mangay, Vadore, Gazara, Gor, Bhadra, Nanda, Harbala etc.^[2]

The Bhanushalis are of Kshatriya descent and were warriors and served previous kings of the western region of India. When the rule of the british empire came to an end, most Bhanushalis began to enter the field of trade. They were known for their expertise in maritime trade and were involved in seafaring activities, particularly in coastal regions. They traded goods and commodities along the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, contributing significantly to the region's economy.

Historically, the Bhanushalis had a strong presence in coastal trade and were known for their navigation skills. They were involved in transporting goods, spices, and other merchandise through sea routes, which contributed to the cultural exchange and economic prosperity of the regions they operated in.^[3] Jyotindra Jain theorized that the Bhanushalis migrated to Gujarat from, based on their worship of Hinglaj Mata. He also believed that the Lohanas and Bhanushalis shared their early home in Sindh before their migration to Gujarat.

Bhanushalis are at present divided in to two subgroups, according to where they live. The Kutchhi Bhanushali Community (have ancestry in Kutch region) and Halari Bhanushali Community (have ancestry in Halari (Jamnagar) region).^[4]

Bhanushalis are mainly involved in agriculture and farming and others who migrated are mainly involved in big businesses.^[3]

Bhanushalis worship different kuldevis as per their clan names / surnames.^[5] They follow Hindu customs and beliefs.^[6] They also worship Veer Dada Jashraj and claim, like Lohanas, that he belonged to their community. Bhanushalis chiefly worship Hinglaj, whose main temple, Hinglaj Mata mandir is in Baluchistan, their ancestral home.^[3] They workship Karan from Mahabharta as Karan Dada.

Bhanushalis shared their early home in Sindh with Lohanas and seem to share history.^[3] Like Lohanas, Bhanushalis are involved in trading and gained visibility in business. Like Lohanas they worship Dada Jashraj as their kuladevata and Harkor, as Kuldevi. Many Bhanushalis surnames are also found among Lohana community.^{[citation needed]}

• Shyamji Krishna Verma, Indian revolutionary fighter of Bhanushali community from Mandvi Kutch
• Odhavram, Torch bearer for educating Bhanushali Clan
• Dhvani Bhanushali, Indian Singer^[7]
• Jay Bhanushali, Indian television actor^[8]
• Kishore Bhanushali, Indian actor and stand-up comedian
• Kunthal Joisher, an Indian mountaineer based in Mumbai.
• ^[9]