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Jainism in a Global Perspective
"It's the first time a priest of your sect has ever left his country, is it not? asked Mr. Pipe.
"Oh, No" replied Mr. Gandhi. "Why, when did ever that happen"? asked Mr. Pipe.
"About 2000 years ago" replied Gandhi in a matter of fact tone "No one has made a pilgrimage since then."
The Reporter's assumption that it was virtually impossible for a member of such an esoteric religion ever to have left India was based on his own sense of wonder at someone so very different from himself. The response, equally surprising, that only 2000 years ago a pilgrimage outside of India had been made, showed the antiquity of the faith in which 2000 years were seen as inconsequential. To a press reporter in a nation little more than 100 years old then the response must have seemed incredible.
After Mr. Gandhi's visit, the literary and academic interest in Jainism in U.S.A. took roots. Several books and research papers were published from University of Pensylvania and other places. Upto 1960 there were a few Jainas and practitioners of Jainism here but their number remained small till the landmark changes in the U.S. imigration laws in 1965 that admitted large number of immigrants from India and Pakistan. The religious groups formed by these new immigrants have exerted and will continue to exert significant influence upon the fabric of the American religion and culture.
The first Jaina centre in North America in New York was established by a handful of families in 1965. Engineers, Professors and Doctors founded these and other centers and suddenly the whole tradition fell on their shoulders to transform the community, establish traditions, develop programmes for the youngsters and build temples. Initially these groups continued to meet in homes and rented halls for religious festivals until the group was large enough. Soon, schools, houses, garages, apartments, buildings, churches, movie theatres, warehouses and commercial buildings were converted to temples and places of worship. In some cases, lands were purchased and brand new temples were constructed. Also in early 1970s two prominent Jaina scholars and monks- Gurudeva Chitrabhanuji
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