The Chao Center for Asian Studies (CCAS) at Rice University is currently accepting applications for the Bhagwaan Mahavir/Chao Family Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jain Studies to begin July 1, 2016). The search is open to any aspects of academic research in Jainism and the Jain communities, and applicants with a focus on transnational Jainism will be given priority. Click here to read more.

"Inaugural Online Lecture Series on Jain Texts"

"Acarailga Sutra"

"Online Lecture Series"

Saturdays 1 5 PM (GMT 17:00) 1 Online at https://connect.fiu.edu/jainstudies/

The Jain Studies Program at FlU welcomes you to the inauguration of the Online Lecture Series on Jain Texts.

This program is launched to enrich textual studies in Jainism and nurture the study of ancient languages like. Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabramsa and other lndic languages. This will promote, rejuvenate and invigorate scholarship and research on primary sources.  Scholars will present their research on a chosen Jain text through interactive video conferencing.

The text chosen for this year is the Acariiilga Siitra. We welcome you to the inauguration of the program with an introductory lecture on the text, followed by a series of four lectures.Each lecture willbe approximately 50 to 60 minutes with a disa.Jssion session to follow.The sessions will be hosted on Saturdays GMT 17.00 (5 PM). The video conference is open to all.The content will also be archived on the JainStudies Program website.

Schedule:

To RSVP, please click here or go to: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/138ucB5VYKRPkKc4gBIv__dAk7ff2iWOotyslwHtrhQs/viewform

If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

• Test your oonnection: https://connect.fiu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
• Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html

For more information, contact Steven Vose (svosa@fiu.edu) or
Samani Unnata Pragya (upragya@fiu.adu).

• Appeal for Support
• List of Minority Status Benefits
  
• Guidelines for Achieving Minority Status in India
  

Appeal for Support a

About Jainism

Jainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation. The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and for the health of the universe itself.

Jain’s Minority Status – A historical perspective

The world Jain community's demand for minority status is now a century old. When in British India, the Viceroy took a decision in principle that the Government would give representation to "Important Minorities" in the Legislative Council, (Petition Dated:.2nd September, 1909).

Demand of Minority- Based on Religion

The words "minority based on religion” used on the Indian Constitution Article 30(1) means that the only or principal basis of a minority is either adherence to one of the many religions and not a sect or a part of the religion. In all religions sub-sections, sects or classes exist.

For instance, the Arya Samajis among the Hindus, the Catholics or the Protestants among the Christians, the Shias or the Ahammadiyas among the Muslims, the Namdharies among the Sikhs etc. may be called religious denominations. However, they are still a majority religions compared to Jains.

The Jains are only ~0.4% of Indian population. Therefore, Jains should be given minority status based on declaration made by the National Minority Commission of India.

Current Status

As of this writing six Central Government ministerial level IAS officers and department head have sent their reconditions to the Attorney General of India for his review and acceptance of draft report and forward with his findings to the Prime Minister of India for discussion with his Cabinet and final approval. Furthermore the Attorney General may make his decision by month end; therefore it is more of an urgent issue that we all get behind this petition.

Please support this initiative by clicking on the button below:

We need your whole hearted support by signing this petition. With your help our needy brothers and sister back home will receive central Govt. based scholarships and our Jain holy places of worship will be protected. Furthermore there shall be additional seats will be reserved for our Jain youth in college and universities of their choice.

http://www.change.org/petitions/minority-status-for-jains-right-to-freedom-of-religion-articles-25-to-30-of-constitution-of-india-and-under-section-2-iii-of-the-national-minor?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_week_one

List of Minority Status Benefits: a

1. Finance Scholarships for Students
2. Scholarships for Students
3. Admission
4. Reimbursement of fees
5. Institutional benefits

a

Guidelines for Achieving Minority Status in India

Remembering Tarla Dalal

1936 - 2013

Tarla Dalal, the Julia Child of Indian vegetarian cooking and author of over 17,000 recipes and 170 cookbooks, died in her sleep on Wednesday at the age of 77. She revolutionized the very concept of teaching Indian cooking, first focusing on Indian women and later expanding her reach across the globe.

Her influence on the Jain community, both in India and North America is quite apparent.  She highlighted Indian vegetarian cuisine and made it mainstream.  Her Gujarati cultural upbringing and willingness to experiment with bold flavors made vegetarian food appealing to the masses.

JAINA had the great privilege of hosting Tarla Dalal at the 2005 JAINA Convention in Santa Clara, CA.  She presented several sessions, provided cooking demonstrations and even served as judge for the first ever Jain Iron Chef cooking competition.  Her fellow judges Sunita Jain and Chirag Shah, and the audience, found her commentary and enthusiasm inspiring.

Of her many cookbooks, Tarla Dalal also co-authored one with Manoj Jain and Laxmi Jain titled Jain Food: Compassionate and Healthy Living.  In addition to the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, the book expands on the philosophy of food in the Jain tradition where mindful eating is as much a part of religious activity as prayers and scripture reading.  This book has been given out to attendees at YJA Conventions and sold at recent JAINA Conventions.

Today JAINA remembers the many contributions of Tarla Dalal to the Indian and Jain communities across the globe and will continue to share her message of life through cooking.

More interesting articles:

• Noted cookbook author Tarla Dalal Dead - Mithila Phadke, India Times
  
• Gourmet’s lodestar: Tarla Dalal tickled our palate with the delights of India’s eclectic vegetarian traditions - India Times

See Tarla Dalal's YouTube Channel below:

Download the Tarla Dalal App today click below:

	IPHONE - click here
	Also available on Google Play Store

For the first time ever, JAINA teamed up with members of both the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Claremont Lincoln University (CLU) this past Tuesday to discuss how the values of non-violence may be expressed with their organization members, their larger communities, and policy-makers.

The all-day event was planned to take place on Capitol Hill, but the government shut down that morning. Instead, the event was held in the offices of the AJC through the generosity of its leaders.

The day turned out to be a very meaningful despite the hurdle, however. Close to 100 people attended.

Furthermore, fears that the main part of the event, eight meetings with lawmakers and Congressmen, would not happen turned out to be unfounded. JAINA representatives were able to meet with more than four people associated with Congress to discuss Jainism and the Jain way of life.

This was the third Legislative Day organized through the collaborative efforts of AJC and JAINA and the first ever collaboration of JAINA and AJC with CLU.

The event was successfully organized locally by Dr. Sushil Jain, Nissim Reuben, Julie Fishman and Dr. Manoj Dharamashi in coordination with Prem Jain, President of JAINA from San Francisco, and Dr. Nitin Shah, Senior Advisor of Center for Jain Studies (CJS) at CLU from Los Angeles, and many others.

The event started at 11:00 am in the conference room of the AJC. The first briefings were by Forest Yang and Uzma Bashir from the US State Department. They answered many questions about the visa situation for Indian citizens, especially those requiring visas for religious reasons and Jain scholars visiting USA.

Twelve members of the group then volunteered to go with AJC’s Julie Fishman to visit with five Congressional representatives. Representatives from JAINA were from various states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

These visits were very successful. They spoke with legislative assistants for four representatives, but they were very fortunate to get an audience with New York Congresswoman Grace Meng. The group was in time to celebrate the Congresswoman’s birthday with her and her staff. Meng mentioned that she has visited the oldest Jain temple in Queens, NY, several times, and she immediately connected with those present from NY in the delegation.

The JAINA representatives also met with Katie Moore, Legislative Fellow for Congressman Steve Chabot from Ohio, Jessica Schwartz, Legislative Director of Congressman Steve Israel from New York, and Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents the Claremont city of California, where CLU and the Claremont School of Theology are located. They also met with Mariana Maguire, Judy Chu’s Legislative Assistant, and Mira Kogen Resnick, senior policy advisor for California Congressman Henry A. Waxman.

JAINA President Prem Jain started the presentation to Congressional representatives with the history of JAINA. Prem Jain also spoke on the activities of the Ahimsa Center at CalPoly in Pomona, California. The Ahimsa Center has been teaching school teachers how to teach students in a nonviolent way. Dr. Salgia and Dr. Shah discussed the activities of the ISSJS (International Summer School of Jain Studies), which has trained students and teachers from the US in India on the Jain way of life for the last eight years.

Claremont School of Theology President Dr. Jeffrey Kuan and Dr. Shah presented the work done at CLU, the first interreligious university program established in the US. Many people in the JAINA group articulated services provided in their respective communities. Community members from Ohio, New York and California further discussed what has been done with the legal assistants representing their states.

The JAINA delegation appealed to all members of Congress for collaborative efforts to help the underserved population in their respective areas. Dr. Shah specifically offered to organize free community health fairs for the constituents of Congress member Judy Chu and Henry Waxman in California.

After a photo shoot in Lafayette Square with all present at the event, an Awards Ceremony was held in the AJC offices. Political Minister Pranay Verma from the Indian Embassy gave a speech before the ceremony. The Inaugural CLU International Ahimsa Award was then awarded to a very distinguished couple: Gurudev Chitrabhanuji and his widw Pramodaben Chitrabhanu.

Dr. Shah gave the history of Jain Education and CLU’s interreligious programs. He also touched on the creation of CLU International Ahimsa Award. He then introduced President of CST Dr. Jeffrey Kuan who addressed the delegates and spoke on 130 years history of the associations between Christian-Catholic School at CLU, BAYAN, an Islamic organization, and the Jewish organization AJR, for the purpose of studying all Abrahamic and Eastern religions together under one roof. Dr. Kuan presented another plaque to them on behalf of CST, BAYAN and AJR.

David Lincoln, who donated $50M and created CLU also spoke on the lives of the Ahimsa Award winners. Dilip Shah, Past President of JAINA and senior advisor of CJS at CLU introduced him.

Chairman of Ahimsa Visva Bharti, Shree Lokesh Muni addressed the delegates immediately following JAINA’s awards. Dr. Jain, JAINA's immediate Past President, spoke about Mr. Bharat Desai, CEO of Syntel and presented him with JAINA's distinguished service award. He could not be present, so Prem Jain accepted award on his behalf. Jain, the current JAINA President, spoke about exemplary services of Mr. Udai and Mrs. Sushila Jain of Houston to Jain community and others and presented them with an award.

The day ended with JAINA’s recognition and gratitude for the work of David Lincoln, the Associate Director of AJC Nissan Reuben, and Fishman of AJC for their efforts to make this event a reality.

Photos from the event:

Click here to view these pictures larger

Videos from the event:

Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muniji:

The Necessity of Cultivating Ahimsa and Interfaith Dialogue

Rev. Dr. Kah Jin Jeffrey Kuan:

The Value of Interfaith Dialogue

David C. Lincoln:

Honoring Gurudev Chitrabanuji and Pramodaben Chitrabanu

reposted from NDTV

Nairobi: As a jihadist commando sowed death and horror inside Westgate mall last week, Nairobi's Jains became the silent heroes of the days-long emergency effort.

The Jain community, whose small Indian religion upholds non-violence as a sacred principle, opened their doors at the onset of the attack on September 21 claimed by Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Shebab group.

As the crackle of gunshots filled the air, the Oshwal religious centre just 100 metres (yards) away was a haven where survivors, relatives, security forces and journalists were sheltered, treated, counselled and fed.

"We have a lot of space and numerous parking places," said Bhupendra Shah, a senior member of the Visa Oshwal community.

On the Saturday the raid was launched, "I made a round, I saw soldiers and policemen standing, who where hungry and thirsty."

"We sent emails to request help, and donations started to arrive on Sunday morning," said Shah.

Within hours the Jains mobilised like an army and tapped into their formidable economic power.

Families brought gallons of juice freshly squeezed at home, a sporting club donated eight vans packed with food, an industrial bakery and a top retail chain gave tonnes of bread and water bottles.

The Jains have only 12,000 members in Nairobi, a city of four million with a large population of Indian descent, but among them are the CEOs of Nakumatt, East Africa's retail giant, and other top companies.On the second and third days of the brutal siege, Oshwal volunteers served around 15,000 meals inside their religious centre, an imposing ochre building of Hindu architecture surrounded by sprawling grounds.

Three times a day, the red vests of the Red Cross, the green ones of the St John ambulance service, the camouflage gear of the elite forces battling the mall attackers, mingled in the queue.

Police officers bristling with assault rifles and journalists with cameras also got in line for a plate of food, taking a short break as the siege dragged on.Serving this exhausted crowd on the front line of one of the worst attacks in Kenya's history were 400 Jain volunteers working in shifts to welcome their visitors.

A first aid centre was set up in the underground car park to ease the burden on the city's overwhelmed hospitals.

The Oshwal centre also made space available to teams offering psychological counselling to traumatised survivors and bereaved families, or helping people to report a missing person.'Do not kill, don't have anger'At least 67 people, including children, are so far confirmed to have been killed in the attack, that also left dozens wounded and 61 people are still reported missing. "Jain is one of the oldest religions in the world," Shah said. "Our religion says 'do not kill, don't have anger', 'respect any form of life'."

Jainism is thousands of years old, a religion whose philosophical roots date back to ancient India and are inspired by the same principles of tolerance that influenced Mahatma Gandhi.Most its followers are vegetarians or vegans and some of them even refrain from eating roots and tubers in order not to kill insects.Jain monks sweep the floor in front of them and cover their mouths with their hands as they walk to avoid stepping on or swallowing the slightest creature.The community is estimated at barely five million worldwide.

Conspicuously absent from the temporary crisis management hub set up at the Oshwal were the Kenyan government services."When you live in Kenya, (help from the government) is the last thing you ask. You have to rely on yourself," said Shah."Not a single person from the government came to ask what they could do."But the Jains' efforts didn't go unnoticed, galvanizing good will among other religious communities and in some cases even breaking down the prejudice that permeates Kenya's complex social fabric."

The important thing is that all Kenyans came together as one, as Kenyans, people from all origins, all communities came to help," said Miten Shah, another member of Oshwal's Jain community."I never thought the Indians could be so generous," a black African Kenyan who survived the attack said.A week after the bloodshed, as the nation took stock and licked its wounds, hundreds of people were back at the Oshwal centre for a marathon ecumenical prayer vigil for the victims of the massacre.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 18, 2013 at 9:58 AM ET

BUENA PARK, Calif. — The ancient Indian religion of Jainism, a close cousin of Buddhism, has often been a hard sell in the U.S. with a strict adherence to nonviolence that forbids eating meat, encourages days of fasting and places value on even the smallest of insects.

Now younger Jains who resist the elaborate rituals of their parents, which include meditating 48 minutes a day and presenting statues of idols with flowers, rice and a saffron-and-sandalwood paste, are trying to reinterpret the traditions of their religion for 21st-century American life.

They are expanding the definition of nonviolence to encompass environmentalism, animal rights and corporate business ethics, flocking to veganism, volunteering alongside other faiths and learning to lobby through political internships and youth groups.

"Youth are a lot more interested in learning the why of things instead of just blindly following it," said Priyal Gandhi, an 18-year-old from northern Virginia. "I don't think we've lost the faith. I think it's about finding new ways to adapt to it."

The evolution, which is being examined in a series of conferences at a new center for Jain studies, comes as many Jains who immigrated to the West are grappling with how to mesh the belief in nonviolence, which inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., with modern life and its excesses.

Jains believe, for example, that even microbes in the air and water are sacred life and any action that impacts other living things — such as driving or using electricity — can add to bad karma.

Yet Jains, many of them top doctors, lawyers and businesspeople, use computers and cellphones and drive cars — and so they are increasingly seeking a compromise between their faith and practicality, said Whitny Braun, a bioethics and religion professor at Loma Linda University who has studied Jainism.

The faith's most recent idol lived 2,500 years ago but Jainism is much older.

"Jains are a critical part of the Indian fabric so there's ways to be a fully practicing Jain in India but here it's very, very difficult so a lot of Jains adopt the attitude of, 'Well, I'm going to do the best I can,'" she said. "I'll be vegetarian or vegan, and if I can buy a Prius, I will."

Priyal Gandhi, for example, lives the life of a normal American teenager: She drives, uses a cellphone and is enrolled as a freshman at the University of Virginia this fall.

She goes to temple when she can, but for her, being Jain means the simpler things: Taking the long way to avoid trampling the grass, praying quietly at home before bed and avoiding onions, potatoes and garlic in addition to meat because root vegetables are the life source for an entire plant.

Veganism — a step beyond the vegetarianism that the faith requires — is also on the rise among young U.S.-born Jains who find it otherwise difficult to follow traditional rituals.

For the most part, elder Jains support the modified approach, but some worry their children will miss a deeper understanding without completing rituals that are so detailed that some Jains carry a small booklet with illustrated instructions.

Worshippers must shower, remove their shoes and change into loose-fitting, clean garments before approaching statues of 24 idols and must don a white mask to avoid breathing or spitting on the marble figures.

"All of the rituals have a real meaning that we're supposed to bear in mind when we're doing it. When I'm doing the cleansing with the water for the idol, my thought process is I'm also cleansing my soul that way," said Hamendra Doshi, vice president of the Jain Center of Southern California.

"The religion is much deeper than that," said Doshi, 62. "Community service is really only a very baby step."

Changes in how younger worshippers act out the faith may have a big impact on Jainism's fate here. In India, Jains account for about 1 percent of the population and the community in the U.S. counts about 150,000 followers.

The faith's Western evolution is being talked about openly and with greater urgency now that the tiny ex-pat community that arrived in the 1960s has established itself with a national umbrella organization, youth groups and more than 100 temples, including an enormous one south of Los Angeles.

This weekend, the new Center for Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University in Claremont hosts a two-day conference on women and gender issues that will include a presentation on sexism in Jain teachings. Another session on how to apply Jain principles in corporate ethics is planned for next year.

And in a sign that Jainism is also beginning to reach non-Indians, one of the speakers at this weekend's conference will be Sadhvi Siddhali Shree, who calls herself the faith's first non-Indian ordained Jain nun.

Shree, 29, grew up in a Catholic household and said she became a Jain nun in 2008 after seeing horrible violence as a U.S. Army combat medic in Iraq. Shree, who credits Jainism with helping her conquer post-traumatic stress disorder, is challenging Jain tradition that she feels place a monk's status above a nun's.

"If they want Jainism to spread, they need to raise women's status," she said. "There are things that need to evolve."

Shree would not be considered a true Jain nun by many more traditional worshippers, but her voice — and the other new voices — can help the faith become more relevant in today's America, said Sulekh C. Jain, of Houston, who for nearly five decades has been a leading force among U.S. Jains.

"The Dalai Lama said tradition over time, if it does not change, needs to be scrapped," Jain said. "It's really a part of growing up."

Please post your comments below to engage in the discussion.

___

On the Web:

Original NY Times article link

Claremont Lincoln University, Center for Jain Studies: http://jain.claremontlincoln.org/

25-year-old Jain sadhvi abducted, stripped in MP

Reports said the sadhvi was sleeping on her house's terrace when the two people, Pradeep Yadav and Ashok abducted her on Wednesday. They took her to Ashok's house, where she was stripped and thrashed with canes. The two later left her outside her house in an unconscious condition.

courtesy: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-24/bhopal/37981087_1_jain-sadhvi-naib-tehsildar

More articles: 

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/other-cities/bhopal/-indore/25-year-old-jain-sadhvi-abducted-stripped-in-mp/articleshow/19169167.cms

http://www.punjabkesari.in/news/जैन-साध्वी-का-अपहरण-कर-कपड़े-उतारे-118916

http://pratahkal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1432%3Aजैन-साध्वी-को-निर्वस्त्र-कर-पीटा&catid=171%3A2013-03-13-03-07-12&Itemid=611

http://aajtak.intoday.in/story/25-year-old-jain-sadhvi-abducted-stripped-in-mp-1-725452.html

http://hindi.webdunia.com/news-regional/युवा-साध्वी-से-छेड़छाड़-निर्वस्त्र-कर-यातनाएं-दी-1130323056_1.htm

http://hindi.in.com/latest-news/news/Bhind-Vestal-Beaten-Badly-1755932.html?utm_source=RHS

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/other-cities/bhopal/-indore/three-arrested-for-molesting-jain-sadhvi/articleshow/19192359.cms

Jainism, their dream is for a world of nonviolence”. ( see link below)

Dr. Jill Carroll, Adjunct Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Rice University in Houston and Creator and Director, Amazing Faiths Project wrote this beautiful article on Jainism.

Article about Jainism along with pictures of Jain Society of Houston is published in Thursday, January 12, 2012's Houston Chronicle.

http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Their-dream-is-for-a-world-of-nonviolence-2494732.php

Dr Natubhai Shah, Chair/CEO of Jain Network (www.jainnetwork.com) was invited to the wedding cermony to represent the Jains. To read his first hand account of the wedding please click on the links below.

Royal Wedding Invitiation

In Picture: Dr Natubhai Shah at the Royal Wedding

ROYAL WEDDING

By Dr Natubhai shah

29^th April 2011, the day of Royal Wedding of His Highness Prince William of Wales with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey was a Historic Event that brought Joy and Happiness to the people of Britain and many throughout the world. It was also a day when for the first time the leaders of Major Nine Faiths, namely Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Sikh and Zoroastrian were invited by her Majesty the Queen to the wedding Service at Westminster Abbey along with the Royal Families, Government Senior Ministers, Celebrities and other important persons.

I was delighted to attend this unforgettable ceremony as a Jain. The whole programme was meticulously organised. Rather going to the Abbey in car, I travelled by public transport. When the people knew that I was attending the ceremony, some people in the train touched me and took photographs. At Westminster tube station, I was received by a police cadet and escorted to the place of security check.  I was received by a clergy volunteer at the Abbey and escorted to my seat by 9-15am.

At the Westminster Abbey, the Clergy came in magnificent gold ecclesiastical robes, choir boys in red robes and white collars, guests in lounge suits and national dresses, ladies in beautiful dresses and unique hats. We realised that we were sitting with the British Royal Family, Middleton family and friends, Diplomatic Corps, Foreign Dignitaries, Foreign Royal Families, Cabinet, Service Chiefs, Faith Representatives, Celebrities and other guests. It was spectacular scene that will cherish in one’s memory for ever.

The procession of the Queen, the Clergy and the Bride; the music and the atmosphere were magnificent. The service was serene, sacred and dignified. It was in simple language. The Dean of Westminster, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London and the Bride’s Father spoke and used the words praying for the spiritual and physical happiness for the couple. The words included advice to the couple: presenting their bodies as living sacrifice to the God; genuine love to one another, hold fast what is good and hate what is evil; rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer; contribute to the needs of the saints, hospitality to strangers; compassion and forgiveness, humility and living in harmony with one another.  The words echoed the Jain way of life.

We were given prominent seats, just behind the Archbishops and were invited for a reception by the Dean of Westminster after the ceremony.

We will never forget the experience of attending this ceremony. The invitation to attend the Royal Wedding has brought Jain awareness to the wider world and I feel honoured and humbled to witness this unique ceremony as a Jain representative. This was a genuine, modern wedding we can all recognise, and a happy couple whose individuality was undimmed by the pomp and magnificence of the grand royal event. It has won the hearts of millions people and made the Britain proud.  

Source: Times of India dated Feb 24, 2011

Click to read the full article

Please help support Siddhayatan as it creates a milestone for ALL by clicking here to make a small donation, or by mail to the address below. Your help, even small, is very much appreciated. For more information, please go to  http://siddhayatantirth.org.

Siddhayatan Tirth
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Humcha (Shimoga District, Karnataka), 14 July 2010: His Holiness Bharata Gaurava Swasti Sri Deevendrakeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji, the pontiff of Humcha Jain Mutt passed away this morning. He breathed his last due to cardiac arrest at around 5.00 am here at Humcha. Aged about 63 years, Devendrakeerthi Swamiji was consecrated to the Bhattarakha seat at Humcha at an young age of 22 years in 1969.

He had an erudite knowledge on Jain philosophy and was know for his scholarly discourses on Jainism across the world. He is one among the few Jain pontiffs who had taken keen interest for the propagation of Jainism globally.

Many Jain temples have been constructed under his guidance and leadership inIndia and abroad. He was also instrumental in the renovation of numerous ancient Jain temples in Karnataka which would have been impossible without His guidance. Popularly called as Devendrakirthiji, he had a huge followership in Indiaand overseas cutting across religions.

Representative at the World Parliment of Religions - He represented Jainism and delivered discourses at World Parliament of Religions held at Chicago(1993), Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004), Monterrey (2007) and Melbourne(2009).

Grief in Karnataka - The news of the sad demise of Sri Devendrakirthi Swamiji spread rapidly across Karnataka and the Jain samaj is in a state of shock. Phones calls and SMS started flowing around leaving the Jain samaj in a state of grief.

Last Rites at Humcha - Leaders of the Jain samaj, devotees and many religious leaders started pouring in to Humcha to have a last glimpse of the great guru. People from across Karnataka had assembled at Humcha to attend the last rites of Devendrakirthiji. The last rites were completed by around 6.30 pm today. His Holiness Swasti Sri Bhattakalanka Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Sonda Jain Mutt, His Holiness Swasti Sri Lashmisena Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Narasimharajapura Jain Mutt, His Holiness Swasti Sri Bhanukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Kambadahalli Jain Mutt, His Holiness Swasti Sri Bhuvanakeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Kanakagiri Jain Mutt and His Holiness Swasti Sri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Moodabidri Jain Mutt attended the last rites of Swamiji.

Condolences Pour In - Condolences have started pouring from across Karnataka and the messages express the distress spread in the Jain community. People from all over Karnataka have mourned the sad demise. His Holiness Swasti Sri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt has said that, "the sad demise of Sri Deevendrakeerthiji is a great loss to the Jain community ".

His Holiness Swasti Sri Bhuvanakeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of the Kanakagiri Jain Mutt has condoled the death of Sri Deevendrakeerthiji and said that, "Sri Deevendrakeerthiji was a great scholar of Jainism. It is a great loss to Jainism at large and Jain Samaj of Karnataka in particular".
Dr. H.A.Parshwanath, (Jain scholar and editor-in-chief of 'Jaina Voice' a popular Jain monthly magazine on the internet and Professor of Pathology, SDM Medical College, Dharwad) in his condolence message said that, "The death of Sri Deevendrakeerthi Swamiji has created a lacune in the religious space of Karnataka which is difficult to fill by any one else." He recollected the pleasant spent with hi in many religioud functions and discourses.

Condolence Meeting at Badrinath - A group of 75 pilgrims from Karnataka who are on a Jain pilgrimage to Badrinath and other Jain pilgrim places conducted a condolence meeting at around 7.30 am as soon as they heard the news. Sri Y.C.Bhujabalaiah an advocate from Bangalore coordinated the meeting.

About Humcha - Humcha or Hombuja or Hunchadakatte is the well known Padmavathi shrine in Karnataka. It is at a distance of 55 Kms from Shimoga the nearest district centre. It can be rated as the most popular abode of all the Padmavathi shrines in the world.

Jain community's senior most Acharya and most versatile, learned Terapanth Acharya Shree Mahapragyaji passed away on Sunday, 09th May 2010 afternoon 2.52 PM at Sardarshaharin Rajasthan. Born on 14th June 1920 at Tamkor in Rajasthan, he took his Jain monkhood on 29th January 1931 at Sardarshahar and has been continuously serving humanity with his broader learning, understanding and enhancing approach on humanity, spreading peace and global harmony.

Funeral procession would begin on May 10th at 3pm in Sardarshahar, Rajasthan and Agni Sanskar is at 6pm.

1st April, 2010 marks a historic day for the people of our country, India. Over next 1 year, everything - good or bad, small or big is going to be counted. Are we going to make ourselves count as Jains or….Will India's Jain Population dwindle further or we are going to make our presence felt through sheer Numbers? – Onus is on all the Jains

Over last few decades, Jain Culture inspite of being the oldest and the richest is shrinking at an alarming pace. This is reflected by our declining Population, Census after Census. Interestingly, our Guru Maharaj ji, Marasahebji, Satiyaji claim that ground reality is that our absolute population is increasing then why is the Census painting a different picture? There has to be a missing link..

We are contributing more than 50% of India's Revenue and 25% of India's Direct Tax kitty, so our economy and indirectly the whole country is running on the fuel called ‘Jains'. But there is one game in which we are losing out – Game of Numbers. Communities who have won in this Number Game are getting all the attention and respect in the Political, Economic, Media & Social circuits.

Don't you feel time has come to make the Stakeholders of India realize the important contribution made by just 0.5% of India's Population all these years? But How?

The best and the easiest way to achieve our goal is by making every Jain count in the Number Game. Let's talk to fellow Jains at our home, then with our relatives, then talk to Jains in our neighborhood and the final next step will be to raise this issue at every gathering of our Community – be in Derasar, Sthanaks, Upashrays etc. Let's explain everyone the importance of making ourselves count as Jain in the upcoming Census.

Over years, knowingly or unknowingly lots of Jains have enrolled themselves as Hindus under the misconception that Hinduism and Jainism are similar. Mind well, our lax attitude is dragging us backwards and it's high time we revive respect for Jainism and for Jains.

Our Government too acknowledges the fact that Jainism predates Hinduism by a margin of thousands of years and that Jainism was the 1st religion known to Mankind. That's the very reason; Jainism is one of the six Religions explicitly mentioned in the 2011 Census Form.

Let 2011 Census Form be the place where we all unite as Jains and carefully register our religion as Jain – and just as Jain without any prefix like - Swethambar, Digambar, Terapanti, Sthankwasi, Mandirwasi, Oswal, Porwal, Dassa, Bissa etc etc..

Kindly forward this message to fellow Jains who are passionate about Jainism and who wish to spread importance of Census as a tool to make us count.

The video, which is about three and a half minutes long, is made by BBCNews and was on BBC in January 2010. Just turn on your speakers, click on the link below and go on the pilgrimage. If you are not able to click open the URL, just copy and paste on your Internet Explorer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8456435.stm

Indian Postal Department has issued two beautiful stamps on World famous Jain Temples of RANAKPUR and DILWARA on 14th Oct. 2009. These both multi-colored stamps depicts images of the Temples along with the unique architectures of these Temples. Miniature Sheet, First Day Cover and Information brochure of these Stamps have also been issued. Both the stamps are of the denomination of Rs. 5/- each. The First Day Cover and the Brochure are priced at Rs 2 each. Security Printing Press, Hyderabad printed 0.4 million stamps by wet offset process in the sheets of 24 and 0.4 million Miniature Sheet have been printed. These are available for sale at the Philatelic Bureaus of all the G.P.O. as well as big Post Offices of India.

Click below to view images of

Ranakpur Temple Stamp

Dilwara Temple Stamp

Brochure

Ranakpur Temple

Ranakpur is a village located in Desuri Tehsil near Sadri town in the Pali District of Rajasthan in western India. It is located between Jodhpur and Udaipur, in a valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range. The Ranakpur Jain Temples command huge respect from the Jain community worldwide. Built during the rule of Rana Kumbha, these temples have included Ranakpur in the list of five main pilgrim destinations of Jains in India. History has it that Rana Kumbha donated a vast stretch of land to Dhanna Shah so as to enable him to realize his dream of building a great temple. Today, these temples attract thousands of visitors every year from across the country and abroad.

Temples of Ranakpur present a distinct style of their own. The ceilings of the temples are adorned with foliate scrollwork and geometric patterns. The top and bottom part of the domes are joined by Brackets with figures of deities on them.

The most important amongst all the temples within the complex is the Chaumukha Temple. Dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath, it is a four faced temple which has a basement of 48000 sq feet. The temple boasts of four subsidiary shrines, 24 pillared halls and 80 domes standing on the support of nearly 400 columns (the total number of columns in the temple complex, however, is much larger, around 1444). Each of the columns is richly carved and interestingly no two columns present the same design. Moreover, the columns change colour from golden to pale blue with the passage of every hour during the day. So much for the artistic brilliance of the workmen! The temple is shaped like a Nalinigulm Vimana or heavenly aircraft that the Shah had seen in his dreams. The construction of the temple is extremely complex with four separate entrances leading to chambers inside. The chambers finally lead to the main hall which houses the image of Adinath

encircled by several smaller shrines and domes. Another range of cells with individual roofs surround these shrines and domes yet again. Perhaps, the complexity of the structure was reason why the temple took around 65 years to complete.

DILWARA JAIN TEMPLE

Dilwara Jain temples are known world over for its extraordinary architecture and marvelous marble stone carvings, some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. It seems fairly basic temple from outside but every cloud has a silver lining, the temple interior showcases the extraordinary work of human craftsmanship at its best. These temples were built between 11th to 13th century AD, The beautiful lush green hills surrounding the temple gives a very pleasant feeling. The ornamental details of marble stone carvings is phenomenal and unmatched, The minutely carved ceilings and the pillars are just amazing. All this was done at a time when no transport or roads were available at a height of 1200+ Mtrs in Mount Abu, Huge blocks of marble stones were transported on elephant backs from the Arasoori Hills at Ambaji to this remote hilly region of Mount Abu. Dilwara temples is also a popular Jain pilgrimage attraction.

Of the five shrines in this group, four are architecturally significant. They are built with white marble stones. Each has a walled courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard is the shrine with the image of the deity, Rishabhdev. Around the large courtyard, there are numerous small shrines, each housing a beautiful image of the Tirthankaras with a series of elegantly carved pillars from the entrance to the courtyard. The ministers of the Solanki rulers of Gujarat had constructed all these temples during 11th and 13th centuries A.D.

Vimal Vasahi is the oldest temple, which has been dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara. Vimal Shah, minister of the then Solanki ruler of Gujarat, built it in the year 1031 A.D. The special feature of this temple is it’s ceiling which is circular in eleven richly carved concentric rings. The central ceiling of the temple is adorned with magnificent carving and it culminates into an ornamented central pendant. The pendant of the dome tapers down forming a drop or point, like a lotus flower. This is an astonishing piece of work. It symbolizes the divine grace coming down to fulfill human aspirations. Figures of 16 Vidya Devis (goddesses of knowledge) are carved on the ceiling.

The other Dilwara temples are the Luna Vasahi, Vastupala and Tejapala, named after the ministers of the then Vaghela ruler of Gujarat who built them in 1230 A.D. Inspite of being plain and austere on the outside, the interiors of all these temples are covered with delicate carvings. Its most notable feature is that the brilliant intricacy and delicacy of the marble carving is so fine that in places the marble becomes almost transparent.

Dilwara temples are one of the best examples of craftsmanship, the genius of carving out so brilliant and intricate a shape out of a block of stone, such that it almost comes to life! The temple is a tourist’s paradise and a meditative sanctum for the devotees.

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