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Then Shri Virchand sailed for America to attend the Congress of World Religions to represent the Jaina religion. Amongst the other representatives was the great Swami Vivekananda. The Congress of World Religions was a unique gathering of leaders of world religions, all intelligent, devout and eager, learned and anxious to express and present the principles of their religion and to learn from the others. It provided a great opportunity for comparative study of different religions. Many tolerant minds had thought of some such gathering and some attempts were said to have been made before in that direction ; but the Congress held at Chicago was the first of its kind and has remained the last. It was great and unique in its conception, representation, and honesty of purpose.
Those were the days of rank orthodoxy. There was very little education in the sense in which it is understood now. Education was only taking its roots. The peoples' mind was overridden by superstition and narrow cramped ideas of life. Some protests were raised against Shri Virchand's going to America even for such a laudable object. It was considered to be a sin to cross the seas and go to foreign lands. But Shri Atmaramji Maharaj was a very far-sighted saint and he did not mind such protests and gave his blessings to Shri Virchand going to America to attend the Congress.
The Congress which was also known as the Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in U.S.A. during September 1893. It lasted for 17 days from 11th September 1893 to 27th September 1893.
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