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Court calls for Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir antique idol
NEW DELHI, December 31, 2011: An antique idol of Lord
Mahavira placed in the Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir at Chandani
Chowk, one of the oldest temples in the city, has been the subject
of a legal battle for the past four years and now it is going to be
produced before a trial court next month. Metropolitan magistrate
Aparna Swamy issued summons to a representative of Jain Panchayat (Jain
organisation), with the direction that he produce the idol on
January 31, 2012, as the trial has finally started against three
persons who allegedly were trying to sell it in the international market.
The court's order came while allowing the plea of the counsel
of the accused, who submitted that the examination of witnesses
could not be continued further until the case property was brought
before it. Allowing his plea, the court issued the summons.
The idol, which is worth crores of rupees, was recovered from
three persons who claimed to be contractual labourers, on February
21, 2007. Police filed an FIR alleging that the suspects were about
to sell the "stolen" idol, weighing 4.2kg in the
international market. As the idol was lying in the storeroom of the
Kashmere Gate police station in central Delhi for few years with no
rightful claimant, Prachin Shri Aggarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat, a
Jain organization, moved the court to take the idol on conditional
possession and instal it in the Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir for performing its religious rituals.
The community submitted that the idol was a work of art and
sculpture and belonged to society as a whole. He said the idol would
be installed in a manner that it could be removed if required, as
the Jain scriptures provided for 'chal pratishtha' (movable
establishment). Even as Delhi Police opposed the application, the
court had in an order on April 9, 2007, allowed the conditional
release of the idol on a payment of Rs 5 crore to the applicant organization. Source: The Times of India
Jain Temple burgled in Thane
Thane, December 24,
2011 (PTI) A Jain temple in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi near here
was burgled and cash and valuables worth around Rs 1 lakh were
looted, police said today. Burglars broke open the doors of the
Vastu Pooja Jain Mandir at Kamathghar last night and looted it. Cash
and valuables like a crown and a silver- made pot worth Rs 1 lakh
were looted, they said. The robbery came to light this morning when
the priest went to open the temple.
New religious channel Jinvani goes on Sea TV Network
Mumbai, December 10, 2011 (PTI) A new religious channel, 'Jinvani', which caters to
the Digambar sect of Jain community, has been launched. Sea TV Network
Ltd launched the channel a few days ago under the umbrella of Jain Telemedia Services Ltd. "This is world's first satellite 'Jain channel'
solely dedicated to the Digambar sect. The channel is directed at bringing the philosophy of `ahimsa' (non-violence) propagated by Bhagwan
Mahaveer," Neeraj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Sea TV Network, said in a statement here today. "With this channel we not only
look at targeting audiences from India but also those who have settled
abroad." The channel will have several shows that would focus on issues
like religion, spirituality, moral values, health, art of living and
principles of Jainism in simplest form, and ensure that people, especially the youth, easily understand the preachings and their
importance, the statement said. For the youth, the channel would telecast 2D and 3D movies and serials based on Jain epics and historical
and religious events to portray the teachings and beliefs of Jainism, it
added. -PTI
Silver idols, valuables stolen from Jain temple
Gurgaon, December 5, 2011 (PTI) Five silver idols and other other valuables were
stolen from a Jain temple near Bilaspur village on national highway 8,
around 30 km from here, police said today. Dharam Chand Shastry, chief patron of the temple, said five idols, three chatars, three kalash and
one throne were found missing from the temple. All the items, weighing more than five kg, are made of silver, he said.
Thieves broke the gate of the temple in the wee hours of Sunday and made away with the
valuables, he said in his complaint. In his complaint, Shastry has suspected the involvement of some workers who had come on the same day
for construction works currently going on in the temple. Local SHO Babu
Lal said some of the workers have been taken into custody and their questioning is on. PTI
Will law prevail over the practice of child diksha in Jainism?
Mumbai, November 30, 2011 (DNA): To what extent law can prevail over religion will be ? A division
bench of Justice PB Majmudar and Justice Mridula Bhatkar of the Bombay High Court will decide on the issue after hearing petitions for and against
the practice of child diksha in Jainism. The issue came under debate after a minor girl, an Indore resident, was
given diksha in Mumbai on May 11, 2004. Questions were raised if a minor girl was capable of deciding if
she wants to renounce the world.
Earlier, Justice Majmudar had remarked: "We have to look at welfare of
society and also of the minor." The court has asked the petitioners in favour of diksha to produce
literature and affidavits of religious leaders saying that child diksha
is integral part of Jainism. Stating Jainism is being practised since seventh century, Srihari
Aney, Prateek Seksaria and Lalit Jain "counsels for the girl's parents
Santosh and Seema Bagricha " have pleaded that law should not curb the
religious practices. Aney said the diksha system is not as rampant as it is made out to be.
"Jains don't just give away their children for diksha practice. There is
a process to be followed before a child is given diksha," he added.
When Aney stated that under Article 27 of the Constitution, every citizen had the right to practise his/her religion, Justice Bhatkar
replied saying, "Article 27 gives right to religion, but at the same time Article 21 gives right to childhood also."
The parents and Jain community group have contended that the Bombay high
court does not have the jurisdiction to decide in the case as the girl
and her parents were not from Maharashtra. Besides, the Child Welfare Committee did not have the jurisdiction to inquire into the matter as it
is based in Mumbai and not Indore, where the family belongs. A petition has also been filed by NGO Child Line challenging the
conversion of the minor girl into a nun. In fact, several other religious organisations have been quoted in the petition, both in
support and against the diksha system. Child Line had alleged that the girl's parents had forced the child into
taking diksha, as the family was financially unstable. The NGO had sought that the parents should be booked under the Juvenile Act since
the child was suffering a social death. The case will now come up for hearing in mid-December.
9th
century Jain sculpture on display at Egmore museum
CHENNAI, November 22, 201: A rare Jain sculpture, said to date back to the ninth century AD, was put on display at the
Government Museum in Egmore on Monday for the first time since it was gifted in 1976. Part of an exhibition during the heritage week,
it will be on display till November 27. The sculpture called " Navadevata Chakra", museum officials said, is the earliest
evidence of the type of worship popular among members of the Digambara sect of Jainism. "Of the 44 stone Jain sculptures in
the museum, this one is unique because it contains details like petals of lotus and a cone-shaped crown. It also an improvisation of
sculptures of earlier periods with more ornaments," said museum
commissioner SS Jawahar who inaugurated the exhibition. It is aimed
at highlighting the deep roots of Jainism in South India. Usually,
museum officials said, 'Navadevata chakras' (nine deities in a
circular format) have eight deities on eight lotus petals and the
ninth one on a petal in the centre. The sculpture put on display on
Monday, officials said, is slightly different in that the circular
portion rises from a banded rectangular base. At the centre, Arhat, one of the nine deities, is in dhyana pose.
On his either side are bearers of a chamara (frisk) in a
standing position. The deities are Siddha, Arhat, Acharya, Upadhyaya,
Sadhu, Chaitya (image), Chaityalaya (shrine), Dharma Chakra (wheel
of law) and Sruta (scripture). The order of the arrangement of the
deities in the sculpture is similar to the latter period Navadevata
bronzes found in south Indian Jain temples, officials said. For
example, the bronzes at the Jain temples at Thirupparuthikkunram and
Trilokyanathar in Jina Kanchi (near Kancheepuram) contain the same
arrangement. "We got the sculpture as a gift from the managing
editor of the Indian Review, a news magazine, in 1976. It is the
first time we have put it on display," said curator (archaeology section) R Balasubramanian. In South India, experts
say, Jainism is more than a name with Andhra Pradesh, Karnakata and
parts of north Tamil Nadu having remained centres of the religion,
especially up to the 12th century when Saivism began to spread. Source: The Times of India
Birth ceremony of Lord Sambhavnath celebrated
SHRAVASTI, November 15, 2011: The birth ceremony of the third
proclaimer of Jainism Lord Sambhavnath was celeberated with great
fervour at Shravasti. A huge chariot procession was also taken out
from Digambar Jain temple. It was launched by state minister Daddan
Mishra by breaking a coconut. Jain devotees and a number of foreign tourists participated in the chariot procession.
After starting from the Digambar Jain temple, the chariot
reached the original birth place of Lord Sambhavnath at Mahet where
the three 'Indras', Nitesh Jain, Saurabh Jain and Abhishek Jain,
performed Mahamastikabhishek of the Lord. Thereafter, Nitesh
Jain of Bahraich bid highest for 'gyanmala', 'poolmala' and 'sahasramala'
of the Lord and won it. Source: Times of India
Pattabhisheka Mahotsava of Sri Dharmakeerthi new pontiff of Sri Kshetra Humcha from 14th-17th November 2011.
The
Pattabhisheka Mahotsava of Vichara Patta Kshullaka Sri Dharmakeerthi
Swamiji as the new pontiff of Sri Devendrakeerthi Peetha of Sri
Kshetra Humcha will be held from 14th-17th November 2011. This was
announced by Sri Vasantha Hombanna a senior member of the Sangami
family of the Humcha Jain Mutts tradition at a religious function
held at Shravanabelagola under the presence of His Holiness Swasti
Sri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt.
Latter a formal invitation was offered to Sri Dharmakeerthiji by
keeping a tilak on his fore and a letter stating his appointment as
the new Bhattarakha of Sri Kshetra Humcha was handed over to him.
Sri D Surendra Kumar of Dharmasthala who happens to be the working
president of Sri Kshetra Humcha informed that Sri Dharmakeerthiji
will start from Shravanabelagola and reach Humcha on 14th November.
His Pura Pravesha to Humcha (entry to Humcha) will be held on 14th
November followed by certain religious rituals and the Pattabhbhisheka on 17th November. The Pattabhisheka Mahotsava will
be held in the presence of Sri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of
Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt.
Kerala's ancient Jain temple renovated
PALAKKAD, October 25, 2011: The centuries-old Jain
temple in the district, one of the few surviving structures in
Kerala representing typical Jain architecture, is all set to reopen
after renovation. The historic "Digambar" shrine,
dedicated to Chandraprabha, the eighth 'Thirthankara' in Jainism,
had been in a dilapidated condition for long. Suffering
ravages of time, its brickworks were damaged and cracks appeared on
the temple walls. However, through massive renovation which began
two years ago, the structure has been restored to its past glory and
is expected to be opened on an auspicious day next year, Jain community members here said.
According to local legend, the Digambar Jain temple at
Jainimedu, located about three km from Palakkad town, was
built by a family of diamond merchants who came from Kanakahalli in
Karnataka centuries back. Three merchant brothers -- Ejjenna Shetty,
Doddu Shetty and Payappa Shetty -- used to visit Kerala for trade.
During one such visit, the second brother -- Doddu Shetty - died of some illness.
Their brother's untimely demise saddened the two
others. They visited Elacharya Muni, a Jain saint living in the area
to find a way to relieve themselves of their sorrow and built the
temple in memory of the deceased brother according to the sage's
advice. They later settled around the shrine with their families and
in due course of time around 400 Jains came to be settled in and
around the temple. As majority of them were pearl and diamond
merchants, the place later came to be known as "
Manikyapattanam " (diamond town) and "Muthupattanam"
(pearl town). The place also came to be known as 'Jainimedu' due to
the presence of the Jain temple. Though modern historians say that
the structure could not be more than five centuries old, members of
the Shetty family, who live near the temple, claim that the structure was about 2500 years old.
The shrine, built of huge granite blocks, is located in 70
cents of green-rich plot at Jainimedu. With walls devoid of
glittering ornamentations and attractive decorations, the 32-feet
high structure comprises four "araas" (divisions). Though
Chandraprabha Thirthankara is the principal deity of the shrine, the
images of other 23 Thirthankaras and "yakshas" and "yakshinis"
(demi-gods) can also be seen in different chambers. Source: The Economic Times
Ahmedabad crime branch arrest thief robbing temple artefacts
Ahmedabad, October 19, 2011 : On Monday, Detection of Crime
Branch (DCB) officials arrested a man who was in the city to sell
precious metal artefacts stolen from the Jain temple in Pamol
village, Vijapur taluka. The man identified as Naresh Parmar, 27, is
a resident of Poojanagar Society, near Narol court of the city. The
police recovered a bag containing artefacts worth Rs 90,000 which
were stolen from the temple. The DCB received a tip-off informing
them of Parmar's whereabouts near Narol Circle. The cops rushed to
the area to catch hold of the man before he was able to sell the
stolen works of art. In the theft which took place at the temple
earlier in July, artefacts worth Rs2.4 lakh were stolen, of which
objects worth Rs 90,000 were recovered by DCB on Monday.
According to ACP Mayur Chavda, "Parmar is a notorious
miscreant who was involved in other instances of thefts and house
break-ins. He had broken off a piece of one of the stolen statues to
take to a jeweller to get an evaluation of the metal before selling
it. This small piece was recovered from him during his arrest."
In the past month, many instances of thefts of precious metal
artefacts from various Jain temples have taken place in the city,
the investigations of which are still going on. Source: DNA
2,500 Jain doctors to attend medical meet in Pune
PUNE. October 16, 2011: The Jain Doctors' Federation,
Pune, will conduct the seventh Jain Doctors' Conference, which will
cover topics ranging from "medication to meditation". The
two-day conference will start at the Ganesh Kala Krida on Saturday.
Briefing media persons, orthopedic surgeon Ramesh Ranka,
organising chairman of the conference, said, "The theme of the
conference is 'modern medicine and science with spirituality for
global health and peace'. Discussions will primarily revolve around
the major strengths of modern medicine, its capacity to grow, adapt
and accept ideas from other areas of healthcare, including
acupuncture, hypnotherapy, homeopathy, ayurveda, nutritional
medicine and spirituality." "We expect about 2,500
doctors to attend the conference," said Hitesh Solanki,
hospital administrator and organising treasurer for the conference.
"We believe that such a holistic approach is the key to
achieving global peace and health, which is the ultimate goal of
this conference," said surgeon and organising secretary Suresh Jain.
Source: Times of India
Stolen idols recovered from Indore flat
Indore, October 12, 2011 (PTI): City Police have recovered six idols, believed to have been stolen from various Jain
temples, from a flat in Mahesh Yadav Nagar area of the city and have detained two persons in this connection. According to police, the
idols were recovered when they were conducting a search operation for stolen gold in another case last night.
Police said the idols were stolen from Jain temples in Ujjain last month when curfew was in place during the communal unrest. The
idols were kept wrapped up in boxes in the kitchen of the flat, they said, adding two of the six idols were stolen from a temple in
Ujjain, while location of others was being traced. Police said
two persons present in the flat at the time of the search operation
were being questioned in this connection. Besides the idols, five LCD television sets and six laptops were also recovered from the
flat, they said, adding the modus operandi of the suspects was to
change their location after committing theft and robbery.
Tirthankara idols stolen from Jain temple seized
Chennai, September 30, 2011: The CB-CID idol wing
sleuths on Thursday arrested four men and seized 15 panchaloha idols
stolen from a Jain temple at Ethanemili village, in Villupuram
district, on August 29 this year. The idols date back to 1834.
Police said on information, a special team nabbed four people
waiting near the northern entrance of the Koyambedu bus stand in the city on Thursday evening.
“When they tried to escape on seeing the police, we nabbed
them. We used decoys to keep a tab on them and recovered 11 idols on searching their bags,” said a police officer. During
interrogation, they confessed to have buried four more idols in a farmland in Ethanemili. “We have seized idols including Nemi
Theethangarar, Vishaya Theerthangarar, Santhi Theerthanayanar, 24th Theerthanayanar, Thagubali Theerthanayanar, and 10 small ones,”
the officer added. The arrested were identified as Sundarrajan, 25, Murugan, 25, Bagyaraj, 24, and Shanmugam, 28, all from Tindivanam.
Source: Deccan Chronicle
Eight silver idols stolen from Jain temple
JAIPUR, September 24, 2011: Burglars decamped with eight silver idols of Jain deities from a
temple in the city on Thursday. The temple is situated a few kilometres
from Sadar and Vidhayakpuri police stations. However, the burglars did not touch the antique idols and other
important idols in the temple, police said. "They removed a water cooler from outside the temple to enter it. Prima
facie it seems that the burglars were not professional enough to understand the value of other antique idols which were not been
touched," said commissioner of police B L Soni.
"We have got some concrete clues," he added. Deputy commissioner of police (south), Jose Mohan and other officers
visited the spot. An FSL team and a dog squad also reached the place.
Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
Jains observe fast on Nirvan Utsav of Tirthankar Vasu Pujya
ALLAHABAD, September 12, 2011: The annual 'Nirvan Utsav' of 12th Jain Tirthankar, Vasu Pujya
Swami, was observed on Sunday at Jain temple on Zero Road. The event was
held under the aegis of Digambar Jain Panchayati Sabha, Prayag, in the
presence of Jain Muni, Uttam Sagar and Kshullak Suparshva. The devotees
observed fast on the occasion which coincided with the ongoing Anant
Chaturdashi festival. Convener, Rajesh Kumar Jain said that the programme started in the
morning with 'abhishek' performed by the Jain munis. A music band rendered religious tunes and songs for the devotees.
Throwing light on the life of the 12th Jain Tirthankar, Swami Uttam Sagar said that he was born at Champapur in Bihar, where he also
attained 'nirvan' during the month of 'bhadon' on the occasion of Anant
Chaturdashi. He exhorted the devotees to keep a control over their desires and lead a simple and austere life.
Once a rare Jain sculpture, now a washing stone
CHENNAI, September 5, 2011:For decades, women used a stone near the temple tank in Padur on
Old Mamallapuram Road to wash clothes. On Sunday, village elders and
panchayat officials, who were renovating the tank, turned the stone over
only to discover that it was a rare Jain sculpture dating back more than 1,000 years.
Now, the same women worship what was their washing stone and lay flowers
on it. Panchayat officials were clearing bushes near the tank and dug up
the stone to shift it. They realized that the side women were using was
the back of the sculpture and the front had got buried a few feet. "For
years, we thought the sculpture was missing. We were overjoyed to find
it," said Padur panchayat president T Paramasivam. The sculpture was of Mahavira, the 24th and the last Jaina tirthankara.
The tirthankara is depicted in the 'dhyana' (meditation) pose with
flywhisk bearers behind him. The sculpture also has an 'Ashoka
vriksha' (tree) above the head and 'chamaradharis' (bearers carrying flowers) on
each side. Only the first and 24th tirthankaras — Rishabha and Mahavira
—are depicted in sculptures and worshipped. Archaeologists said the
presence of three umbrellas above the head was a clear indication that
the sculpture was that of a Jain tirthankara and not the Buddha.
Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
Idol stolen from Jain temple Firozabad
Firozabad (UP), August 12, 2011 (PTI): A prized ''ashtadhatu'' (mixed metal) idol
was today stolen from an ancient Jain temple here in Shikohabad area, police said.
The incident occurred this morning when the priest had gone out of thetemple. The thieves took away the idol weighing about one kilogram, they
said. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the culprits.
MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA at Venur from January 28 to February, 2012
August 6, 2011: The Mahamastakabhisheka offering to Shri Bahubali's monolithic statue at
Venur will be held from January 28 to February, 2012. A preparatory meeting of the organizing committee was held in Shri Bahubali auditorium
in Venur with Shri Kshetra Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade in the
chair. Shri Bhattaraka Charukirti Panditacharyavarya Swamiji of Moodbidri Jain Math, scion of Aladangadi
Timmannarasa ruling family Dr Padmaprasad Jain, state government's special representative in Delhi and
former union minister V Dhananjaya Kumar, Moodbidri MLA and opposition
chief whip K Abhayachandra Jain, SCDCC Bank chairman M N Rajendra Kumar
and others took part in the deliberations and contributed useful inputs
and counsel. The Swamiji of Moodbidri Math invoked blessings pointed out
that the Mahamastakabhisheka event signified sacrifice. He also said
that the shortfalls which might have occurred during the events in the
past were not repeated and gave a call to build a strong society.
Courtsey:Yashwant Malaiya E-Mail: ymalaiya@yahoo.com
Thieves target historic Parshavanath temple, loot valuables worth Rs 26 lakh
CHANDRAPUR, July 26, 2011: In a daring act, burglars targeted the historic Parshavanath
Jain temple in Bhadrawati and decamped with goods worth Rs 26 lakh on Sunday night. The
theft in the secured premises located in the thickly populated area has taken the police by surprise.
Police said that the theft came to notice on Monday morning, when chief
pujari Pundalik Chavarol opened the main door of the temple only to find
that one of the side doors was damaged and locks broken. The gold ornaments on Parshavanath Swami's idol and silver canopy over it were
missing. The donation box was also broken and the cash inside was stolen. The alarmed pujari immediately informed the matter to the
trustees of the temple, who in turn intimated Bhadrawati police. PSO Ramesh Sarvade, along with his team, rushed to the spot, while SP
Suvez Haq and SDPO Ashok Bharte later joined them. Sniffer dogs were
pressed into action while finger print experts were called in. Sources said that the
thieves had also severed the cables of CCTV installed inside the temple.
SDPO Ashok Bharte said that the thieves decamped with goods collectively worth Rs 25.97
lakh from the temple. It included gold ornaments (935 grams) worth Rs18.70
lakh, silver canopy weighing around 11 kg worth Rs 5.57 lakh and cash from donation box amounting to Rs 1.70 lakh. The thieves however
left several valuables including silver wares, some ornaments installed with gems.
Bhadrawati is a holy town having revered Jain, Buddhist and Hindu
temples. The Parshvanath temple targeted by the thieves is over a century old, while the idol of Parshavanath Swami is believed to be over
2,700 years old. Devotees of both Sweatambar and Digambar sects of the
Jain community revere the place. The temple management has taken up massive construction of a new temple in the premises and several
labourers from other states are working in the premises. The police are
investigating the case from all possible angles. Source: Times of India
Guru Poornima celebrated with fervour
ALLAHABAD, July 17, 2011: Guru
Poornima was celebrated on Friday under the aegis of Shri Digambar
Jain Panchayati Sabha, Prayag at Jain temple, Zero Road in the
presence of Jain saint Shri Uttam Sagarji Maharaj and Kshullak
Suparsh Sagar Maharaj. Convener Rajesh Kumar Jain has informed that
the programme began with the 'abhishek' and 'pujan' of Lord Mahavira
which was followed by Dharma sabha and Mangalacharan. The portraits
of Jain acharya Shanti Sagar ji Maharaj and Vidya Sagarji Maharaj
were unveiled by members of a prominent Jain family amidst lighting of the traditional lamp.
Addressing the gathering Pandit Prem Chand Jain from Etawah
said that it was heartening to see that Guru Poornima was
being celebrated at Prayag in the presence of distinguished saints
who are visiting this city on this auspicious occasion. In his
address Pandit Shailendra Kumar Jain Dongiri said that Guru helps in
identifying the right path and he is as important as God. Guru
Poornima was also celebrated with gaiety and fervour at
Shankaracharya ashram in Alopi Bagh where the programme started with
the pujan of Padukaon( Footwear) of Guru in the presence of
Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati. This was followed by
Bhandara and pujan. The programme was conclude in the evening with
the recitation of bhajan, informed the convener, Acharya Chote Lal
Mishra. Source: Times of India
Jain community takes out Ghat yatra
ALLAHABAD, July 09, 2011: A ghat yatra was taken out on
Friday by members of the Jain community under the leadership of
spiritual leader Muni Uttam Sagar ji from Shri Mukundi Lal Digambar
Jain mandir, Zero Road and after passing through Clock Tower
crossing and Johnstangunj culminated at Jain temple premises.
Convener Rajesh Kumar Jain said that a large number of women from
the Jain community wearing saffron sarees and holding 'kalash'
donning the attire of 'Indranis' walked along the entire route
amidst beating of drums and music being played by the accompanying band.
The entire atmosphere reverberated with the chants of 'Jiyo
aur Jeene Do' as enunciated by Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mahavira.
However, the centre of attraction was the children band led by
students of Jain Vidyalaya. The programme began with the unfurling
of the flag by DIG Jails V K Jain which was followed by the pujan of
Anant Siddh Parmeshthi performed by Pandit Manishji Shastri of
Jabalpur and Pushpendra Jain of Bhopal.
“Live & Help
Live” JAINA Convention 2011 in Houston
Houston, July 09, 2011: The 16th Biennial JAINA 2011
Convention at Houston held over from July 1 – 4, 2011 at the
George R Brown Convention Center & Hilton Americas in Downtown
Houston. The Convention theme of “Live and Help Live” emphasizes
the idea to live a life of worthiness by serving others.
Over 3,000 people from across the nation, and many from other
parts of the world, came to the Bayou City for the 16th Biennial
convention of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA),
the first time in its 30 years that it has ever been held in the
southern US. JAINA is composed of 67 Jain organizations in North
America, and works to preserve, practice and promote Jainism.
The attendance made this convention one of the most
successful so far. The convention began on Friday July 1st with
blessings from religious and spiritual leaders who come especially
for the occasion: Gurudev Chitrabhanu who founded JAINA in 1981;
prominent sadhus Acharya Chandanaji, Charukeerthi Bhattarakji,
Guruvanand Guruji, Amrendra Muniji and Pujyashri Rakeshbhai Jhaveri
from India and six nuns, including Samani Akshay Pragya and Samani
Sanmati Pragya with the Houston center, who reside at Jain Vishwa
Bharati centers across North America. A temporary temple was also
set up at the GRB with two Jain idols, specially brought from India
for the convention.
Silver chatras, statues stolen from Jain temple
Indore, July 01, 2011 (PTI) Three silver 'chatras'
(umbrella), two idols of Lord Mahaveer and a donation box were
stolen from a Digamber Jain temple here, police said today. The
robbery took place last night in scheme number 51 area near the
airport here, the police said today. Robbers broke open a grill
window and fled with the booty, police said, adding the total amount
of stolen goods could be in lakhs. A case has been registered and
searches are on to nab the culprits.
Jain Society of
Metropolitan Chicago celebrates 18th anniversary
Chicago, June 27, 2011 (PTI) The 18th anniversary
celebrations of the Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMC), the
largest membership representation of the Jain Centers in North America was held here recently.
Union Minster of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Trivedi,
who was scheduled to attend the event could not make it due to visa problems.
Former Union minister and Chairman of Gao Sewa Board,
Government of Gujarat, Vallabhbhai Kathiriya also could not attend
due to visa problems. A few spiritual leaders and dignitaries spoke
on the topic of non-violence � "Ahimsa", the core principle of Jainism".
The Interfaith Forum on the topic "Peace Through
Non-Violence" had speakers like H H Acharya Lokesh Muni Ji,
President of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti (Jain), H H Swami Chidanand
Sarshwati Ji- President of Parmarth Niketan Rishikesh (Hindu),
Michael Ribet from Naperville-based Science of Spirituality, whose
leader is Sant Rajinder Singh Maharaj and Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati.
All of them spoke on the topic of meditation and that outer peace
cannot be achieved by inner peace. Acharya Lokesh Muni Ji said that
one cannot acheive peace in the world without inner peace.
Enjoyments in the world are momentary, but true happiness lies
within yourself, Swami Chidanand Saraswati told the audience. A
beautiful cultural programme of children''s songs and Bharatnatyam
was also presented. Most of Chicago''s Jain local community attended
the event. Founded in 1970, JSMC has a membership of about 1,500
families.
Theft at temple on Kondhwa Road, Pune
PUNE, June 21, 2011: Some unidentified persons broke into a
Jain temple on the premises of the Gangadham housing complex on
Kondhwa Road and disappeared with cash and silver ornaments,
together worth Rs 47,000. The incident came to light on Sunday around 6.30 am. A complaint in this regard has been lodged by Rakesh
Lalchand Mehta of Gangadham complex with the police station.
According to the police, the suspects entered the Shree
Adeshwar Maharaj temple by breaking a window. They stole Rs 7,000 from the donation box and the silver ornaments in the temple, and
disappeared. Senior police Inspector Ram Pathare said that the police had earlier written a letter to the temple authorities,
asking them to appoint private security guards. "But there were no security guards around the temple," he said. Source: Times
of India
Jain Acharya Pulak Sagarji
Kishangarh, June 19,
2011: Pulak SagarJi Gurudev Kishangarh (Raj.) Mai Virajman Hai,12-18 June 2011 Tak Gyan Ganga Mahotsav, 3 July 2011 Ko Jaipur(
Rajasthan.) Mai Chaturmas Parvesh, Dakhe Daily Gurudev Ke Amrit vani: AASTHA TV-2.30 Pm, PARAS TV-7.40Am, ARIHANT
CHANNEL-8.30Pm - Ankit Jain @09810900699
Bombay high court to decide on Jain child diksha on August 23
Mumbai, June 14, 2011: The Bombay high court on Monday posted for August 23 the final hearing
of a petition on the controversial issue of child diksha, which came
into the limelight after an 8-year-old opted for it in March 2004. A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RV More was
hearing a petition filed by Ashok Bagricha and several others. It also sought the assistance of additional solicitor general Darius Khambata
and advocate general Ravi Kadam on this "sensitive issue".
The 2004 incident was brought to the notice of the Child Welfare
Committee by an NGO called Childline. In July 2006, the HC directed the CWC to find whether she had taken diksha voluntarily or was forced. The
CWC reported that the young girl needs care. Her parents challenged the
CWC's order in the high court, which stayed the CWC order. In September 2008, a bench of the court compared child diksha with sati.
"No religion can allow a minor to become a sadhu. It's as bad as sati pratha and there should be some law to prevent minors from taking
diksha," a bench headed by justice PB Majmudar had observed.
Shrut Panchmi`Mahotsava was celebrated in Allahabad
ALLAHABAD, June 7, 2011: The Shrut Panchmi Mahotsava was celebrated with much fanfare by the Jains on Monday. Devotees from
Lucknow and the city thronged the Jain temple in large numbers. Shri Saurabh Sagarji
Maharaj and Pandit Ratan Lal Jain were present at the Jain Mandir on the occasion.
The programme started with puja of Goddess Saraswati. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Saurabh Sagarji Maharaj elaborated on the
importance of the day of Shrut Panchmi Mahotsava. He said that sacred book of the Jains Shatkhandasan was composed on this day.
He also spoke that parents should give good morals to their children and
try to bring good qualities in their children so that they can lead virtuous life in the society. However, he lamented that under the spell
of modernism, parents are not devoting much time to their children. He also said that parents leave
property for their children. But, if the parents give good moral values to their children, then the citizens
would tread on the path of religion and moral values.
Foundation laid for Bhagwan Aadinath Jain temple in Canada
Canada, June 4, 2011: Hundreds of devotees lined up recently with their own bricks to lay the
foundation of Bhagwan 1008 Aadinatha Jain Temple being built on Mayfield
Road (Mayfield and Gore Road) in Brampton, on land donated by the Gyan
Jain family. His Holiness Bhattarka Charukirtiji and Pandit Dharm Chand
Sastri conducted the special religious pooja to purify the land and lay
the foundation stones. This will be the first Jain temple of its kind in
Canada, with the idol of Bhagwan Aadinath, the first tirthankar of this
era, to be installed. An elders' home and a hospital are to form part of
the complex.
Jain sadhvi rape: One held, search on for other accused
Jaipur, May 30, 2011: Rajasthan Police have arrested Mahendra
Jain in connection with the rape of a 15-year-old Jain sadhvi in an
ashram under Falna police station of Pali district. The police are
interrogating the accused in order to get information about the
other three accused persons, who are still absconding.
The victim a native of Shivrajpur village in Gujarat, had
lodged a case against four persons — Mahendra Jain, Chimanbhai,
Mukesh Jain, Ashok Jain, senior Jain Sadhvi Nirmala and her driver
Pappu — at Pavagadh police station in Panchmahals district.
However, the case was transferred to Falna police station in Pali
district of Rajasthan as the crime (rape) took place there. Source:
DNA
Jain muni on indefinite fast in Baghpat against new slaughter houses
LUCKNOW, May 12, 2011: Support continued to pour in for
Jain priest Muni Maitri Prabh Sagar Maharaj of Bada Gaon Jain temple
(Baghpat), as his fast-untodeath protesting against issuing of
licences for eight new slaughter houses in the region, entered the 15th day on Wednesday.
Protestors were joined by delegates from across the country,
who pledged their support to the cause. Apart from various local
organisations, volunteers from Ahinsa Samaj (Meerut), Mumbai's Amrit
Math, Dr SC Ramaswami from Kerala and Gaurakhsha chief Pradeep
Pandey also came out with their support to the movement after
meeting Muni Maitri Prabh Sagar Maharaj. The growing impact of the
campaign was reflected in the bandh that was called in Meerut on
Tuesday to protest against the new slaughter houses. Locals
described the bandh as unparallel, as petty general stores and even
pan shop owners pulled down their shutters late on Tuesday evening,
to express their solidarity with the protestors. Led by the Jain
priest, scores of social outfits, animal lovers and non government
organisations (NGO) have been protesting for more than a month
against the licenses issued for eight new slaughter houses by the government a fortnight ago.
Protestors insist that the eight new slaughter houses would
result in around 20,000 more animals being slaughtered everyday in
the region, which means many animals being subjected to cruelty
during transportation. The existing slaughter houses have been
repeatedly accused of blatant violation of norms in place for
rearing, upkeep and health of the hapless animals killed to mint money.
The protestors say that the industry fetches hardly anything
for the government in terms of revenue, as compared to what it
drains away from the state. But, the authorities continue to look the other way round
merely to oblige a few for vested interests. "The manner in
which critically ill animals are kept and killed cannot be allowed
to continue unchecked. The government will have to make a move in
this regard," said Dr Sushil Misra, an animal lover from
Meerut who visited Muni Maitri Prabh Sagar on Tuesday.
Silver ornaments stolen from Shirur Jain temple
PUNE, May 5, 2011: A Jain temple at
Anand society in Shirur, around 50 km from here, was broken into
early on Wednesday morning and silver ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh
stolen. The Shirur police have detained three security guards of the
temple for questioning. Speaking to TOI, inspector Ashok Kshirsagar
of the Shirur police station said that a complaint had been filed by
Kavrilal Indrabhan Jain (56) of Anand society, who informed the
police when he found the door of the temple open. "When we went
there we found that ornaments on the three idols had been stolen.
Their silver crowns had also been taken," said Kshirsagar.
Source: Times of India
Idols stolen from Modasa Jain temple found in Ubhrat
SURAT, April 1, 2011: The idols stolen
from the 500-year-old Jain temple at Modasa in February were found
abandoned near Ubhrat beach of Navsari. A technician of a petroleum
company was checking a supply pipeline passing through Ubhrat beach
when he spotted the idols. Eleven idols made of panchdhatu and a
sidhhichakra yantra were kept in a white plastic bag when found.
Jain leaders and Modasa police learnt about the recovery of the
idols.
Sri Hukamchand Patni DEVLOKGMAN
Kolkata, March 12 , 2011 : Shri Hukamchand Patni left for his heavenly abode on 11th March ,
2011 . Late Hukamchand Patni was a true follower of Jain Dharma. He always followed the ideal
principles of jain dharma in his life time. He was associated with several jain institutions and organisations.
He respected all learned men, jain sadhus and sravaks and always contributed for the uplift
of jain dharma. He was a guide and a source of inspiration of www.jaindharmonline.com
We pay respect to such a great person dedicated to the jain dharma
as described by Shri Guna-Bhadra Acharya in ATMANUSHASANA
Temple heist in Alwar,
10 antique idols stolen
ALWAR, March 11. 2011: In yet another case of burglary at the
Jain temple situated at Gadisawai near here, 10 antique idols were
stolen by burglars on Thursday. Around 4 am, the priest was stunned
when he found that 10 out of the 15 idols were missing from
the temple and informed the police. Soon after the incident, senior
police officers including district superintendent of police Mahesh
Gupta and a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory rushed to the
spot to take stock of the situation. "The burglars were
carrying metal cutters with which they cut the main entrance gate of
the temple and get inside to the arena where idols were
installed," the SP said. Police suspected that some local gang
could be behind the theft since the same temple had witnessed
burglary in 2009 when six idols were stolen. "We have
constituted teams to nab the burglars as we have got concrete clues
about their whereabouts," the SP added. Source: Times of India
Panchkula to have tallest Jain idol in world
CHANDIGARH, March 04, 2011: Panchkula will soon be on the world Jain tourism map
with the world's tallest idol of the 23rd Tirthankar Bhagwan Parshvanath
being installed at a new temple in Sector 18. The 7.3 feet tall idol
will be erected by the middle of this month. ''The idol is unique as it has water oozing out of 1,008 hoods of
cobras,'' said Upadhyay shri Guptisagar, one of most revered scholars and
saints of Digambar Jains in the world, while talking to TOI during an interview here on Thursday.
Guptisagar revealed that the artisans took six months to make the idol
and were paid more than they expected but he did not reveal the amount.
The saint is himself stationed at Digambar Jain temple in Sector 27 to oversee the arrangements.
''The statue is made of black marble from Makrana in Rajasthan. The final trials of water flow from the mouths of all cobras are going to be
undertaken next week,'' he said, adding that the throne of the idol has
intricate artistic work. Guptisagar said the Tirthankar Parshvanath finds reference in Vedas also
for turning adversities into opportunities and bliss, the elevated human
with a Midas touch. ''This part of India does not have a single Parshwanath temple,'' he said.
Guptisagar, who does not wear clothes according to a level of sainthood
attained in the Digambar Jain order, will walk down from Madhya Pradesh
to install and consecrate the idol between March 11 and 16 at
Panchkula. The saint has 30 publications to his credit and is pioneer of a Jain
school that concentrates efforts on public welfare. He does not sleep
even for three hours a day. He explained that Jains are one of the highest per capita income and
wealth-holding communities in India and their saints live the toughest
life amongst all religious people of the world. Digambar Jain saints
don't possess even a single piece of cloth or utensil. They eat and drink only once in a day holding food and drink in the hollow of their
palms, he said. Source: The Times of India
Four ancient Jain idols and 29 pillars of a temple unearthed in
Patan
PALANPUR, February 27, 2011: Four ancient Jain idols
and 29 pillars of a temple belonging to 12th or 13th century were
recovered in Jangral village, about 25 km from Patan during an
ongoing digging work for the construction of a primary health centre
building. The digging work has been stopped.
"As many as 29 carved pillars and four Jain idols,
two of which are badly damaged and believed to belong to 12th or
13th century were unearthed and we conducting examination on the
same," said director of state archeological department RS Rawat
. "The pillars carved out from marble are supposed to be the
parts of the temple," said mamlatdar. The recovered articles
are kept in a room of the PHS under police custody. We are awaiting
reply from archeological survey department," added mamalatdar.
Talking to TOI Rawat said, "Ancient treasure is buried in Patan
and nearby region. Earlier also, monuments belonging to 12 to 13th
century era when Jainism was the dominating religion have been discovered."
"Several temples built right from Mount Abu to Mehsana
Patan and Suredranagar district belong to the Jain sect, he added.
Recently in January, seven damaged idols, nine crunches and a temple
bell were recovered from Rah village in Tharad taluka of adjacent Banaskantha from the field of a farmer.
Source: The Times of India
Jains
don't want to be counted as Hindus
Moodbidri, February 21, 2011: Moodbidri popularly known as
Jain Kashi, has raised a voice of dissent againststate government?s
plan to include Jain community into Hindu Religious Institutions and
Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Act, 1997. The town has shown
clear resentment to the move of the religious endowments minister VS
Acharya, on inclusion of various minorities under the Act.
"We are not Hindus and our temples do not have Hindu
deities, there is no need to bring Jain temples under the Act. We
understand Acharya's statement had clarified that it is only
for keeping an inventory of religious places under one
umbrella, but I feel even that was not needed as we have a
perfect inventory of our own," said Bhattarka Charukiriti
Panditacharyavarya of Jain mutt, Moodbidri.
Saman-Suttam,
a book compiled from Agamas
February 6, 2011: A group of Jain scholars in Mumbai have
organized a national seminar on Jainism recently with the aim of
reviving a 36-year-old book that seeks to unite all the sects of the
religion. The seminar participated by 15 academic presentations on
Various Facets of Saman-Suttam, a book compiled from other /Agamas/
(religious scriptures) by 300 Jain Acharyas and scholars from both
the Digambar and Shvetambar sects. The book, commissioned by freedom
fighter and human rights advocate Vinoba Bhave, was completed in 1974.
"Bhave's aim was to create a single text that explained
the essence of Jain philosophy common to all sects," said Dr
Geeta Mehta, a Jainology professor at KJ Somaiya Centre for
Studies in Jainism, which has organised this seminar at its
campus. Written in the form of 756 Prakrit verses, the book
has been translated in English, Hindi and Gujarati over the years.
But it did not bring about a unity between sects as it had intended.
"Each sect preferred to refer to its own texts rather than one
which belongs to all," said Dayanand Bhargav, a professor of
Vedic religion.
New Digambar Jain temple at Panampilly Nagar
KOCHI, january
20, 2011: The construction of the new Jain temple at Panampilly
Nagar has been completed. The Jin Bimba Vedi Pratishtha Mahotsav and
Vishva Shanti Mahayagya will be held at G-256, Panampilly Nagar,
from January 22 to 24. The programmes include a procession, aarti,
pravachan, ghatyatra, nithya pooja archana, rathyatra and cultural
programmes in the evening on all the three days. The programme is organised by Sakal Digambar Jain Samaj.
The temple is made of marble and the artisans from Rajasthan
and Gujarat have given it an ethnic look. The painters have done
Kishangarh style of painting on the pillars with elephant and kalash
motives in soothing colours. The idols are from Jaipur.
JAIN ENGINEERS MEET (JEM-2011), BANGALORE
January 19,
2010: To discuss the Jainism theme from engineering point of view,
it is proposed to hold "Jain Engineers Meet" in last week
of Janurary, 2011 under the holy guidance of His Holiness 108 Shri
Gyananasagarji Maharaj at Bangalore. Munishriji is working hard to
bring together all Jain intellectuals so that, all Jains get united,
practice Jainism in their day today life and become role models for
others to follow. The main objective to hold this "Jain
Engineers Meet (JEM-2011)" is to bring awareness among all the
practicing engineers about the importance of Jainism and
vegetarianism in the present day professional scenario and also to
motivate the engineers to spread the values of Jain principles by
adopting them in our day to day life so that others get inspired to
follow them and help to bring peace in the society and in turn in
the whole world. Dr. Sanatkumar - Your response may please be mailed
to Jain.Engineers.Meet@gmail.com <mailto:Jain.Engineers.Meet@gmail.com>
as the earliest.
Temple guard killed during break-in attempt in Vadodara
Vadodara, January 13, 2011: A temple guard was allegedly
killed by three assailants who made a vain bid to loot a Jain
temple here in the wee hours today, police said. Temple guard Mukesh
Parmar (25) was strangulated to death with a plastic cord when
he tried to raise an alarm as the three thieves attempted to break
the lock of the Adinath temple near Abhilasha junction. After
killing the guard, the thieves made another attempt to break the
lock when the alarm rang and neighbours got alerted following
which the thieves escaped, police added. Source: United News
of India
JITO invites all fellow Jains in International Conference in Chennai
January 14-16
Chennai, January 13, 2011: ITO is a worldwide organisation of
Jain businessmen, industrialists, knowledge workers and
professionals reflecting the glory of ethical business practices.
JITO invites all fellow Jains from the world over to become a united
force as contributor, collaborator and co-workers for its
objectives. Through mutual interactions, JITO wishes to establish a
network to plan, strategize and open avenues to solve issues related
to trade and industry. The three days global conference will draw
eminent experts from various sectors like industries, politics,
management and other highly skilled professionals with a focus on
strategies and suggestions for successful business ventures,
spirituality, cultural capital and social responsibility. Our
intention is to create a forum where leaders from various fields can
participate, enhance their knowledge and broaden their mental horizon.
SESSION 1 - “SANSKAR, SANSKRITI AUR SHIKSHA”*. Inagural Function on 15^th JAN 2011
*Shri P. Chidambaram*, Hon’ble Union Minister of Home
Affairs *Dr Veerappa Moil* Hon’ble Union Law Minister and other eminent person.
SESSION 2 - *FAMILY “MATTERS”*, Ensuring sustainable family Business on 15^th JAN 2011
*Shri Ashok Gehlot* Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan and other events on 16th January 2011.
More information on http://www.jitochennai.com/ |
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