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Unique Feature of the Jain Centre
Place of worship and study for all major Jain traditions, Aum and Hrim shaped 108 Parshvanath Jinalay, multifaith centre & community centre.
Situated in Barnet, North West London, the Jain Centre is ideally located amidst the major Jain population residing in the Boroughs of Barnet, Brent and Harrow. It is within easy reach from central London and from outside as it is well connected by major roads and public transport. Therefore its location makes it a hub of Jain and community activities.
• The Jain Network's constitution allows appointment of Overseas trustees, making the London Jain Centre an international place belonging to all. It will be a place for worship, study and pilgrimage for all Jains; a learning centre for Jainism, its values and practices; a resource centre for educational institutions, interfaith activities and guests; and a community centre for the local Jains. The funds of the Jain Centre are managed as per the laid down principles in the Jain tradition such as temple fund (Dev Dravya), general fund (Sadharan) etc. The devotional and spiritual practices, the Jain way of life, including compassion (Anukampa) and animal welfare (Jivdaya), Jain studies and improvement of quality of life of the people, are the core purposes for the establishment of the Jain Network.
• One of its constituents, the Ahimsa for Quality of Life (AQL), has supported the projects for relief of poverty in Pavapuri (Bihar) and Samet Shikhar (Jharkhand) and for the disabled and mentally retarded children in Mumbai and Jaipur. Its other constituent, the Jain Academy (JA), has sponsored a course on Jainism at De Montfort University, Leicester for 3 years; has established the Chair for the Jain Academic and Research Centre in Mumbai University; has initiated the course in Jain Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) London University and supported it for 2 years; and has established the Department of Jain Studies in Faculty of Comparative Religions in Antwerp, Belgium.
• In the fully developed Jain Centre, the Jain Network plans to provide courses in Jain Studies in subjects such as Jain philosophy, Jain history, Jain literature, Jain sociology, Gujarati, Hindi and Prakrit language, Applied Jainology (meditation, yoga, therapeutics, Jain way of life, Jain food and stress management), non-violence and peace; environmental concerns and care of all life, training for religious workers, Minister of Religion and cultural literacy for health, educational, social workers and political leaders.
