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AHIMSA TIMES - DECEMBER 2008 ISSUE - www.jainsamaj.org
the renovation work at a cost of Rs. 110 million. Jain philanthropists and members of the community in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat donated the amount. Out of the total 20 acre land, the temples stood on one acre. The remaining land houses a dharamshala, guest houses with about 160 rooms, a museum and a library for visitors.
NEW JAIN TEMPLE AT RANCHI TO HOLD PANCH-KALYANAK FROM DECEMBER 7 TO 13- Ranchi, This temple is the first of its kind in eastern India. Made of red teracotta stones, every brick of the temple was worshiped before being used. The statue of Tirthankar Bhagwan Vasupujya, one of the most sacred for all Jains, has been installed here. Devotion, meditation and propagation of Jain religion and are the main objectives behind constructing this unique structure. The marvel of architecture sprawls over an area of 9200 sqft. It took around two years to construct the temple. An array of semi-circular steps lead towards the main entrance.
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A 38 ft high massive dome sits on the top of the main hall, while a 5.25 ft high statute of Vasupujya rests on a beautiful lotus in the sanctum sanctorum. The statute has been so installed that it is visible right from the road side. The temple has been constructed strictly in adherence to the Nagar style of architecture, a traditional Jain temple-building art. Every feature of the temple is unique because of the choicest raw materials brought from far-off places. While the idol has been made by the artisans of Jaipur using the biozolia stones of Rajasthan, the sanctum sanctorum has been crafted out of the famous marbles of Makrana in Rajasthan. The 12ft high main gate is made of pure brass. Not an ounce of iron has been used in the construction of the 65 ft wide sanctum sanctorum. The walls of the temple are adorned by paintings depicting 16 dreams of Jain Maa. Two umbrellas have been installed on the grounds of the temple for the convenience of the devotees. Not only this, there is provision for rest places. A seven-day panch kalyanak ceremony (pran prathishta) shall be held from December 7 to 13, after which the temple will be opened for worship. Shri Ratan Lal Jain Charitable Trust has financed the construction of the temple.
IDOL WEIGHING 100 TONS TO BE INSTALLED AT SHIVGANJ
A new Jain temple complex, called "Abhinav Mahavir Dham, devoted to Bhagwan Mahavir is under construction at a place close to Shiv ganj, on the bank of river javai in Rajasthan.. A massive stone idol is going to be built, which is expected to weigh as much as 100 tons. Entire work of producing the idol will be carried out at the site of the temple The Muhurat ceremony for starting the chiseling work of the idol was carried out recently in the holy presence of Jain saint Pranyas Bhadranan Maharaj and many other saints and sadhwi. The local businessmen and trustees of the temple, namely Shri Umed mal ji and Shri Shanti Lal ji Shobhawat, evinced great interest in conducting the ceremony and collecting funds for the construction of the temple. It was a tremendous task to remove a single piece of marble stone and transport it from the stone mine at Makrana in Rajasthan to the site of the temple. The 100 ton stone piece measured 20 ft. in length, 14 ft. in width and 7 ft. in depth. A specialist team was called from Delhi to handle the operation. It took 6 months time to cut out the piece of stone from the mine by 20 workers.
ANCIENT IDOLS OF TEERTANKARS RECOVERED NEAR BELGAON IN MAHARASHTRA Six ancient marble idols, presumably belonging to 8th cenury were found in a house on the 7th August, 2008, while digging foundation. The year engraved on the idol is Mahavir Samvat 1564. Again a short while later, on the 24th August, another 5 marble idols All the idols appear to be of Digambar Jain faith. The idols have been placed in the office of Taluka Tahsildar, so that the visitors can have their glimpse. The followers of Digambar sect took out a procession and demanded that all the idols be handed over to them.
SAINTS
RELATIVITY; TRUTH-ORIENTED APPROACH, ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA
Jain Acharyas developed a Science of Politics which is founded on relativity and synthesis. We have before us the individual and society. Some people have an absolute individualistic mentality. They
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