About Us

In 1990 the Auckland Indian Association bought the New North Road site to build Gandhi Centre to replace the smaller Gandhi Hall in Wellesley Street. For this they were seeking donations.

After the 1987 Fiji coup there was an influx of Indian families into NZ. By 1991 there were about 50 Soni families living in New Zealand, mainly in Auckland.

Many hours were spent by the Committee to write the Constitution. We are grateful for the legal input by Mr. BC Patel. The Constitution was adopted at a General Meeting of the Samaj on 6th September, 1992 and duly registered.

The Committee worked hard approaching the members and raised $10,000. To make this sum up to the promised $15,000 we held various functions, inviting people outside the Samaj. Eventually we presented the cheque to the Auckland Indian Association and earned the honour of having our name on the Donors’ Board.

Over the following years the Samaj has gone from strength to strength under the able leadership of Vimal Raniga, Dinesh Raniga, Dipak Jamnadas, Harish Sundarji, Jayanti Lodhia, Popatlal Bagia, Ravi Jogia, Pramesh Sundarjee, SanjaiBagia and Ritesh Raniga and their enthusiastic teams.

We have undertaken several worth-while projects including fund-raising for natural and man-made disasters in Fiji, New Zealand and various other countries and also for our own Starship Children’s Hospital.

It is always a pleasure to see the younger members taking part in all the Samajfunctions with enthusiasm and great confidence. It has fulfilled its aim of preserving the Soni culture. Its future is bright in the hands of the future generations.

Dr. Kantha Soni, MNZM.

Soni Samaj History

PARAJIYA SONIS 2000 YEARS AGO. 2000 years ago, we were all of Kshatriya community. They were settled in the ancient city called Parajav, (it is now called Patiala.),located in Punjab, near the Sindh border in India. The community went through very hard times. Most of them lost all their assets and livelihood. People were confused and found it difficult to meet their daily household expenses. People used to do what ever odd jobs they used to get. Many of them even became bandits to support their families.

In the year 145A.D. there was one bandit leader called Hakmibandha.His real named was Hukamsinh Parmar and was a devotee of Higraj Mataji. He got tired of living on immoral earnings and realised that the community will never make any progress if they carry on being bandits. So he decided to give up this life style and do something good for the community. He prayed to Hingraj Mataji and pleaded for her forgiveness for their misdeeds and also asked for her guidance. Legend has it that Mataji answered to his sincere prayers and by giving him jewellery tools and teaching him jewellery business. Hakmibandha then taught this business to his followers and their children. This community from Parajav city then became goldsmiths and jewellers and were called Parajiya Soni Samaj. Hakmibandha is the first person to become a Parajiya Soni. He was thus the first person to become a Parajiya Soni. The name of this community of goldsmiths and jewellers was derived from the name of this city. Sonis of Parajav later became known as Parajiya Soni. Parajiya Soni Samaj stayed as one Soni Samaj for next 1000 years.

Parajiya Soni Samaj stayed as united Soni Samaj for next 1000 years. It then split into three Communities: Parajiya Pattni, Parajiya Girnaras and Parajiya Kutchi Sonis. There was also an unfortunate fourth split.

Parajiya Soni clans are mainly divided into three branches called Vansh (Lineage) – Suryavansh, Chandravansh and Hanumanvash. It is important to have the basic understanding of the origin of Kshatriya and Vansh. This fact is clearly stated in many Hindu Puranik literatures like Bhagwad Puran, Bramha Puran, and Vishnu Puran.

This is just a very brief explanation to understand this Ancestral Tree.There are three main lineage branches called ‘Vansh’ – Suryavansh, Chandravansh and Hanuman Vansh. All Parajiya Sonis family roots come from these three ‘Vansh’s.


Girnara Sonis : are mainly from Surya and Chandra Vansh.

Suryavansh : Bhagwan Ram, the seventh avtar of Bhagwan Vishnu is the most prominent Surya Vanshi. Thus all Parajiyas who are ‘Suryavanshi’ are the descendents of Bhagwan Ram.

Surya Vanshis Girnara Sonis : Khera, Jogia, Pala, Vaitha, Polara.

Chandravansh : Bhagwan Krishna was a ‘ChandraVanshi’ so in the Parajiya Ambo, those who are ‘Chandravanshi’ are the descendents of Bhagwan Krishna’. Chandra Vanshi Girnara Sonis are – Lodhia, Nandha, Bhindi, Raninga

Hanuman Vansh : As the name suggest, Hanuman Vanshi are the descendents of Hanuman.