Jain Digest 2002 04

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 23

REGIONAL NEWS.....
opened his lecture with a fascinating his- MIDWEST
Savitaben Doshi, Gita Shah and Jyotindra torical overview of the sacred ritual vow of Manubhai Doshi, Regional Editor
Doshi in the third one. Three prizes of $ sallekhana (the Jaina ritual of fasting to
101, 75 and 51 were given to each group. death). Situating the religious meaning of
Dr. N. P. Jain, the former Indian amthe ritual within its earliest cultural contexts, he then continued with an elucida
bassador to UNO, gave a talk on that occaCHICAGO, IL
sion. The opportunity was also taken to tion of the significance underlying several
honor Dr. Dipak Jain for becoming the contemporary examples of the ritual. This Mahavir Senior Center organized a pil- Dean of Business Management school of was followed by a detailed examination of grimage to Cincinnati on April 13th. 52
the Northwestern University in Evanston the questions and concerns raised in con- people participated. They were enthusias- IL. There was Swamivatsalya after the contemporary medical bioethics over such is- tically received by Cincinnati Center. Most
test and that was followed by the cultural sues as religious fasting to death and both of the pilgrims took the advantage of perpassive and active euthanasia.
forming Poojas. Encouraged by that expeThis year's Roop Lal Jain Lecture, rience the Senior Center has been thinking which was first established in 1990 as a se- to organize a pilgrimage to Sidddhachalam
DETROIT ries of talks honoring the memory and con- sometime during the late summer or early tributions of Roop Lal Jain to the academic
fall. study of the Jaina tradition, was also pre- On the occasion of Chaitri Oli arrange- Jayaben Koradia, a long time member sented in London and Windsor, Ontario ments were made by Renu Mehta at the of the Detroit Metropolitan Society re(Canada). The first nine lectures of the se- Jain Center for observing Ayambil on April nounced the worldly life and became a nun ries have been published in a text edited by 20, 21 and 27. About 200 people in all at Palitana on February 17. She is now Dr. Joseph T. O'Connell, Jain Doctrine and took advantage of that facility.
known as Sadhwi Sanyamratnashri. Practice: Academic Perspectives, published by An exhibition of Bhaktamar Stotra The Society's another Pratishtha the Centre for South Asian Studies at the with stanzawise Yantra, Tantra and appro- Moahotsav has been scheduled from AuUniversity of Toronto.( Mikal Radford) priate colors prepared by Sadhak Shivanand gust 10 to 19 this year. 2002-2004 Elections:
Saraswati together with the English version The elections for 2002-2004 com
of the Stotra by Makarand Dave was orga- ST. LOUIS mittee were held on April 28th. The new nized by Jyotsna Shah at the Jain Center committee consists of: Arhant on 27 and 28th April. These have also been
The election of the members of the Jain(President), Jashwant Shah (Vice Presi- presented in the book entitled Bhaktamar
Executive Committee for 2002 was held dent), Pratik Shah(General Secretary), issued by Divine Darshan. The book costs
and the following persons were elected. Harish Kothari(Treasurer). And the Execu- $25 and can be obtained by calling Jyotsna
President: Kalpana Shah, Vice Presitive Committee consists of Pritam Mehta, on (847) 755 1278 or e-mailing to her at
dent: Mamta Shah, Secretary: Hemal Samir Shah, Bhavin Vakharia, Shailesh museumgallery@yahoo.com. Shah, Minesh Shah, Rohit Shah, Santosh Lord Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated by
Sanghavi, Treasurer: Jagruti Shah, VP Edu
cation: Amit Vora, VP Youth: Dulari Shah, Jain(Ladies, Representative) and Lily the Jain Society on April 28. The Decla
VP Library: Bharat Shah, VP Temple AcJain (Youth Representative). Everyone mation contest was the high light of the
tivities: Satish Nayak, V.P. Temple Projects: wished the new executive successful and program. 31 persons participated therein.
Dilip Sheth. The former President Shirish fruitful term of office.
They were divided in three age groups of 10 to 13, 14 to 18 and age 19 onwards.
Ghelani was nominated as an ex- officio
member of the Committee. EDMONTON, ALBERTA:
The subject assigned to the first group was 'What is religion? How do I practice it?'
Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated from The second and third groups had the com
26th to 28th April in the presence of Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated in
mon subject of 'Spirituality and Healing' Rajanibhai Shah, who gave talks on differEdmonton at the temple with great dediSonia Vasanwala, Jarna Shah and Archana
ent subjects. cation on April 28 in presence of about 350
Shah were the first three comers in the first people. It was sponsored by Jitendra Shah's
group; Arun Singhavi, Madhur Paharia and mother and her families.
Shibani Shah in the second group; and
Jain Education Intemational
JAIN DIGEST. SUMMER 2002/21