The Sunar (alternately**, Swarnkar ,Soni, Sonar, Singh, Shah, Sonkar**) is a caste in India and Nepal.The Sunar community work as traders of gold or as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and found all over India and Nepal.

Etymology

The term Sonar may derive from the Sanskrit suvarna kār, "worker in gold". The Sonar 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, 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 dalit of sudurpachim, and karnali in 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