Jain Center Los Angeles CA 1998 07 10th Anniversary of Jain Bhavan

Author(s): Jain Center So CA Los Angeles
Publisher: USA Jain Center Southern California

Page 37

Realization of Dream: 1986 - 1989
Shree Manibhai Mehta
The community support was so good that in about six months we were able to start realizing our dream of Jain Bhavan. Moral support from the committee members and the whole community made it possible to carry out the difficult year of construction and also achieve the fund raising goals.
Ground Breaking: The Building Khatmuhurat was performed on March 6th 1987 by Dr. Chunibhai & llaben Shah. The construction started in June 1987 and the work was completed in April 1988. Jain Bhavan is an outstanding facility with custom design to fulfill the requirements of religious, cultural and social needs of our community. The donations came from every member of the community enabling us to pay most of the $1 million cost. We also received monetary and in-kind assistance from non-Jain friends. We are thankful to all of them.
Grand Opening: The Jain Bhavan was formally opened on July 2nd 1988. This was the first Jain temple in North America built from ground up with marble Gabhara specially carved in India. We are thankful to Shree U. N. Mehta, Shree Arvindbhai Sheth of Shankheshwar Pedhi, Dr. Kumarpal Desai, and Shree Shrenikbhai of Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi for their help in getting all the marble work done and donated to our Center. The Jain Bhavan inauguration ceremonies included Murti Sthapana with a procession followed by Siddhachakra Poojan and Bhaktamar Poojan.
Wooden Temple: For the 1901 World Fair in Philadelphia, a special scaled wooden model of Shatrunjay (Palitana) Temple was carved and shipped to USA. Over the period of some 75 years, the ownership changed many hands and finally rested with a hotel in Las Vegas. We continued the negotiations (which were started in 1981) with the owners for a more fitting public display of the temple in Southern California. It is gratifying to note that the owners finally donated the temple free to our Center in 1988. It was stored in Las Vegas for us.
Growth of Community: During 1986-89 the Jain community saw phenomenal growth. More members started attending functions partly due to having our own place of worship. All were very happy with the growth and progress of our Center. Jain youth programs were conducted regularly. Pathshala membership increased significantly. Adult Swadhyay class on Sunday was started. The evening Swadhyays on Mondays and Thursdays continued. We retained the services of a part-time attendant for temple.
Jain Bhavan reached the debt-free status in December 1989.
A Jain philosophy is that if you cannot create a life, you have no right to destroy it.
- Sunny Shah (14)
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