This community is known as `Bania` in Gujarati, `Vani` in Marathi, `Chettiar in Tamil, `Sud` in Punjabi and `Komati` in Telugu. It is a conglomeration of people from different castes who were bunched in a single group because of their profession - dealing in grain.

History Of The Bania Community
The Banias of Gujarat have forty subcastes almost all being further divided into the Visa (twenty), Dasa (ten) and Pancha (five). Amongst these the first is said to be the highest in the Vania social order. Though the members of the Visa and Dasa eat together, they do not intermarry and neither has the type of association with the Pancha.

The Banias make a strong claim to be Vaishyas because they still have mahajans and trade guilds, which are referred to in Sanskrit literature. There are 38 endogamous divisions of the caste and five have Jain sections, known as Shravaks, the others being the Meshris. Both Meshris and Shravaks used to eat together and intermarry till the revival of sectarianism in the 1920s.

Vanias from North Gujarat and Kathiawar are sturdy and active while those from South Gujarat are often slight and poor in physique. Some North Gujarat and Kathiawar Vanias have a moustache and those from South Gujarat have shaven their heads at the crown and in a line down to the back of the head.

Dress Of The Bania Community: They dress in colourful clothes which vary in different regions, the main variations being in north Gujarat, Kathiawar and Surat. When going out men usually wear a dhoti, a jacket called badan, a cotton coat (angarkha) coming down to the knees and a shoulder cloth called pichodi.

In Kutch and Kathiawar, those who were in state service wore the loose phenta, probably due to Muslim influence. Others wear a large Rajputana type turban. Those in north and central Gujarat wear the tightly folded cylindrical turban with numerous folds in front and several coils at the back.

The men and women are very fond of jewellery. Men from affluent families wear a silver girdle and a gold armlet above the elbow and the richer they get, the more they add to their personal adornment. The women wear gold jewellery often set with pearls. They also wear earrings, nose-rings, necklaces, armlet above the left elbow, bangles of glass and ivory, silver anklets and silver toe-rings.

Society And Religion Of The Bania Community: Vanias are, generally speaking, staunch adherents of the Vallabhacharya sect. It is believed they were converted to this faith some 450 years ago. In almost every Bania home there is a puja room or a corner where the images and idols of worship are placed.