Of the Jain Guraos Mr. Enthoven quotes the following interesting
description from the Bombay Gazetteer: "They are mainly servants in
village temples which, though dedicated to Brahmanic gods, have still
by their sides broken remains of Jain images. This, and the fact
that most of the temple land-grants date from a time when Jainism
was the State religion, support the theory that the Jain Guraos are
probably Jain temple servants who have come under the influence partly
of Lingayatism and partly of Brahmanism. A curious survival of their
Jainism occurs at Dasahra, Shimga and other leading festivals, when the
village deity is taken out of the temple and carried in procession. On
these occasions, in front of the village god's palanquin, three, five
or seven of the villagers, among whom the Gurao is always the leader,
carry each a long, gaily-painted wooden pole resting against their
right shoulder. At the top of the pole is fastened a silver mask
or hand and round it is draped a rich silk robe. Of these poles,
the chief one, carried by the Gurao, is called the Jain's pillar,
Jainacha khamb."