Halwai

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{infobox ethnic group| | group = Halwai | image = | popplace = • {{flagcountry|India}}•{{flagcountry|Bangladesh}} •{{flagcountry|Nepal}} * {{flagcountry|Pakistan}} | langs = • Hindi • Bengali • Maithili • Awadhi • Bhojpuri • Angika • Marwari • Punjabi{{cn|date=February 2020}} | rels = • Hinduism, Jainism | related = • Muslim Halwai • Bania • Vaishya }} '''Halwai''' is an Indian caste and a social class, whose traditional occupation was confectionery and sweet-making. The name is derived from the word '''''Halwa''''' which is a sweet dish.

The community is known by different names in different parts of India. For instance, it's called Modanseni, Yagyaseni, Kany Kujb Halwai, Madheshiya Halwai, Kanu (Kandu) etc. in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Moira-Modak in West Bengal; Gudia in Odisha and so on.<ref>{{Cite web |title=:: West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes :: |url=http://wbcbc.gov.in/html/hoeme.html |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=wbcbc.gov.in }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Customs==

'''Balarama''' is the celebrated plougher so called '''Halwahi''' or '''Halwai''' or '''Haluwai''', one of the pillars of agriculture along with livestock with whom '''Krishna''' is associated with. The plough is Balarama's weapon. In the ''Bhagavata Purana'', he uses it to fight demons, dig a way for Yamuna river to come closer to Vrindavan and pull the entire capital of Hastinapura into the Ganges river.<ref name="Hudson2008p99">{{cite book|author=D Dennis Hudson|title=The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMCxbOezDi4C |year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-970902-1|pages=97–101}}</ref>

Baba Ganinath Govindji is the kul Guru (school) of Halwai caste.<ref>"Ritual as Language: The Case of South Indian Food Offerings". Gabriella Eichinger, Ferro-Luzzi. ''Current Anthropology'', Vol. 18, No. 3 (Sep., 1977), pp. 507-514.</ref>

==Halwais in Nepal== The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Halwai as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste.<ref> Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf]</ref> At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 83,869 people (0.3% of the population of Nepal) were Halwai. The frequency of Halwais by province was as follows: * Madhesh Province (0.8%) * Koshi Province (0.4%) * Lumbini Province (0.3%) * Bagmati Province (0.1%) * Gandaki Province (0.0%) * Karnali Province (0.0%) * Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Halwais was higher than national average (0.3%) in the following districts:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |title=2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report |access-date=11 April 2023 |archive-date=14 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314170005/https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> * Siraha (2.1%) * Saptari (1.8%) * Dhanusha (1.5%) * Sunsari (1.1%) * Mahottari (0.8%) * Morang (0.8%) * Kapilvastu (0.6%) * Banke (0.5%) * Parasi (0.5%) * Sarlahi (0.5%) * Rupandehi (0.4%)

==See also== * Chandu Halwai

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Bania communities Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh Category:Social groups of Madhya Pradesh Category:Social groups of Rajasthan Category:Social groups of Bihar Category:Social groups of Odisha Category:Indian castes by profession Category:Indian castes Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal