Jain Center ST Louis 1999 05 Pratistha

Author(s): Jain Center St Louis
Publisher: USA Jain Center St Louis MO

Page 9

Jain Center of Greater St. Louis — In Retrospect
Jain Tirthankars' idols) as well as the inauguration of our Jain Dehrasar.
Jai Jinendra The Jain Center of Greater St. Louis
Presidents
of Jain Center of Greater St. Louis
Shirish Ghelani
(1999)
Dinesh Shah
(1998)
Kirit Shah (1996-1997)
Satish Nayak (1994-1995)
As we reflect on the past 12 years, we recall several memories and milestones since the inception of our Jain Center. The Center was founded in October 1986 under the spiritual guidance and blessings of Acharya Sushil Muni and Amrendra Muni. During all these years our Center remained very active in organizing several projects and activities to promote the practice and doctrines of Jainism, to preserve the Jain way of life, and to promote fellowship among all those who are interested in understanding the principles of Jainism.
Every year, our Center targeted and implemented a major project and achieved a new milestone. To name a few: the Center organized monthly programs which included prayers, discussions, youth activities and religious discourses; and invited distinguished leaders and scholars including Jain acharyas, monks and sadhvijis. We started the 8-day celebration of the Paryushana/Daslakshana festival including Ghee-boli (fund raising ceremony), provided Jain literature including a collection/distribution of several books and video/audio cassettes in our mobile library, and started separate pathshala classes for our youth members. We conducted several youth activities including hosting of the first-ever JAINA regional summer youth camp, participated in the "Community in Partnership" program with the local Salvation Army, and visited other Jain Centers and temples ("Sanghyatra"). Other major projects undertaken included a scholarship program for 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grade local Jain youths, and the Center's publications which included the first "Pratikraman" book in English, the Prayer book, and the membership directory.
Since 1988, the Center and our members have been actively involved in the construction of the joint Hindu/Jain Temple. We are very pleased that we will soon have a designated place of worship (Jain Dehrasar) within the Hindu Temple of St. Louis. The construction of our Jain Dehrasar has been a most vital project and a key milestone for our Center. More importantly, it is a long-cherished dream come true for our members.
Let us all come together on this Memorial Day weekend of 1999 and celebrate this most auspicious and once-in-a-lifetime event of Pratishtha Mahotsav (installation ceremony of
Dipak Kapadia
(1992-1993)
Prakash Jain
(1991)
Kirit Shah
(1991)
Milan Kapadia
(1990) Surendra Singhvi
(1986-1990)
Jain Education Intemational