13
MAKING OFJAIN CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
(Mahendra Khandhar)
Jain Center ofSouthern California (JCSC) becamea reality on 15
September, 1979. Since then the successive Presidents and able JCSC
Administrations have made the seed sownthat day to the great Banyan
tree that Jain Center ofSouthern California is today. A chronological
history ofJCSC was outlined by successive past Presidents in JCSC's 10th
Anniversary Souvenir published in 1998. Periods ofaccomplishments
included:
ExecutiveCommittees(1979-98)
FormattingYears(1979-81)
PlanningYears(1982-83
ContinuedPlanningYears(1984-85)
RealizationofDream-FirstJainBhavan(1986-89)
GrowthYears(1990-91)
Phenomenal Growth(1992-93)
CommunityOutreachYears(1994-95)
CommunityEmpowermentYears(1996-97)
ExpansionYears(1998-99)
The purpose of this article is to highlight behind-the-scenes
community meetings and deliberations that culminated in the formation of
JCSC.
In the early seventies there were several hundred Jain families in a
hundredmileradiusofCalifornia, from SanDiegoto SantaBarbaraandfrom
Santa Monica to San Bernardino. Most followed their family traditions and
mainly did some penance and Samvatsari Pratikraman during Paryushana
in localized small groups of family and close friends. There was no
organized effort, no organization and no visiting Jain dignitaries. This
continuedforseveralyears.
In 1977, Vina and I met our old friend (from Limbdi and Stanford)
Lalit and his wife Madhu Shah. Lalit is very creative, proactive, visionary
and selflessly socio-religious service oriented. He initiated informal Jain
community dinner meetings at his home as a sounding board for ideas,
discussions and formation ofa Jain organization. Several meetings ensued
over a period of about 2 years. Many friends, relatives, community
members,activists,wellwishers, sideliners,bystandersandfun loving-
