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CIU
JAIN CENTER OF AMERICA - PARYUSHAN 1984
כותבבח
הכתבה
JAIN CENTER OF AMERICA: EARLY YEARS
Dr. M. K. Pandya, M.D.
In 1977, I was delegated the duty of President of the Jain Center of America. The Center, at that time had a very active and large membership. The Executive Board and other various officiating members who assisted me included: Mr. & Mrs. Surana, Mr. Dalchand lain, Mr. A. K. Nahar, Mr. D. Hirawat, Mr. Jayendra Shah, Mr. P. Lunia, Mr. P. Shah, Mr. K. Kapadia, Mr. Dileep Sethi, Mr. Madho Jain, Mr. V. Tongya and Mrs. Asha Jain.
ACTIVITIES The Center continued to celebrate all Jain functions including Mahavir Jayanti, Divali, Paryushana Parva and social activities like the annual picnic. Increasing numbers of adults were encouraged to participate in our activities and to encourage their children to do the same.
TEMPLE From the very inception of the Center, we had plans to have our own place for worship and to celebrate all our functions and to start and organize educational activities. A temple committee was formed and soon the site for our present temple was finalized, with special thanks to Mr. Surana and Jayendra Shah. All our members contributed wholeheartedly and the executive members even gave their personal guarantee towards the mortgage payment of the temple. Necessary alterations were carried out to make our temple an ascetic place of worship, special thanks to Mr. Lakhani and Mr. Surana. Regular evening prayers and weekend Pujas were begun. An ever increasing number of members participated in all our activities ever since.
UNIFIED JAINS The Jain Center of America, with the first Jain temple in the United States, is a unique example of a united Jain community-far away from its minor differences of sects and languages. Whereas we respect each individual's background in our celebrations and other activities—we are all Jains first, having the same God and same Namokar Mantra. My congratulations to the Jain Community in obtaining this ever desired goal.
BLESSINGS We have also been very fortunate to have the continued blessing and guidance of Muni Sri Sushil Kumarji and Gurudev Chitrabhanu and various Jain saints and scholars from India.
Let us all continue to contribute in expanding our religious and social activities, so that our future generations can be left with a heritage which we all can be proud of.
My sincere congratulations to the present Executive Board and other elected members for publishing the souvenir and broadening our activities.
Jai Jinendra
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