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and others) and many more. A booklet of programme details, informative souvenir and a few other publications were released.
The opening ceremony was attended by Jain Sadhus-Sadhvijis (Chandanaji, Manakmuniji, Amrendramuniji, Shilapiji, Devendra Keertiji, Chitrabhanuji, Samannijis, and few others); Father. C. G. Valles of
Ahmedabad: Jain ScholarsAcademicians-Pundits (Satish Kumar, Dr. Parasmal Agrawal, Jyotindra Doshi, Tarlaben Doshi, Dr. Jagdishprashad Jain, Niraj Jain, Dr. Trilokchand Jain, Babubhai Kadiwala, Dhirajlal Mehta, Chandrakant Mehta, Dr. Kalyan Gagngwal, Hermann Kuhn, Kiranbhai Parekh, Diptiben Shah, Pravin K. Shah, Pravin L. Shah, Shantibhai Kothari, Dr. Rajnibhai Shah, Satish Tripathi, Sunandaben Vohra, Arunbhai Zaveri and a few others) and many Shravaks-Shravikas (Executive Committee Members, Trustees and Office bearers of many Jain Centers and Youth organizations). Later these personalities spoke at different lectures, Q&A sessions, Panel Discussions, Workshops, Youth Sessions, Presentations and many other items.
Some of the note-worthy items included:
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⚫ Regular seminars and events for young people throughout the convention, with separate meetings for under15, over-15 and Young Jain Professionals. The UK Young Jains presented a play entitled 'Jains in Notting Hill' which was very popular.
A temple especially built for the convention by Nipul Malde
• The Sahitya Sammelan where prominent Gujarati writers from India, (Rev. Fr. Valles, Makrandbhai Dave, Kundanika Kapadia, Taru Kajaria) and American-Gujaratis (Madhusudan Kapadia, Dr. Jayraman, Kanti Mepani, Madhu Rye, Panna Naik, Chandrakant Shah and a few others) spoke about Gujarati Sahitya (literature) and the contribution of Jain religion.
Jain Education International 2010_03
Jain Spirit, a new International quarterly magazine for advancing Jainism into the future, edited by Dr. Atul Shah of London, England, and assisted by an international team, was launched. An ideal magazine with quality as well as quantity of information, coloured, glossy, Jain Spirit expresses a long felt need to inform and connect the international Jain community and propagate Jain values all over the world. The subscription is very reasonable at US$31-£20/yearly; US$141-£91 for 5 years and US$421-£350 for lifetime.
Jain Convention
Visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art where there was a special exhibition entitled 'Making the Path to Perfection: Art for the Jains in India'.
Marriage Information Services were also well organized facilitating traditional marriages by arrangement with booklet of details and meeting sessions. Around 250 registrants' details were listed in the book and another 50 must have registered on-site.
Awards were given to: Pravin K. Shah, Cary, NC (Jaina Ratna Award), Dr. Surendra Sanghavi, Dayton, OH (Sushilmuni Ahimsa Award). Jain Society of Toronto (Second time Institutional award), C. N. Sanghavi, Mumbai, India (Presidential Award), nine Youths and 14 other individuals were given awards for their services.
For Private & Personal Use Only
Patan-ni-Prabhuta, Panch-Kalyanak (Janak Khendry) dance-dramas were performed as part of the evening cultural shows and they were very good. Ravindra Jain provided an excellent musical evening.
⚫ Cultural show of raas-garba and other dances, items by youths from various Jain centres were also entertaining.
Publications: Gurjari Digest, the Gujarati literary quarterly published a beautiful informative special issue, maintaining its earlier high standard. India Tribune had an eight-page special supplement. Desi Talk, News India-Times, Gujarat Times (new Gujarati weekly from India Abroad Group) had special articles on JAINA and Jain topics.
⚫ Delicious Jain vegetarian food was provided throughout the conference for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and this was much appreciated by the delegates.
Prakash Mody works for Canadian Television.
THE NEXT JAINA CONVENTION WILL BE HELD IN NORTH AMERICA DURING THE JULY 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND IN 2001. IT WILL BE ANOTHER MEGA EVENT, DETAILS OF WHICH WILL COME OUT IN LATE 2000. IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND IT, THE BEST WAY TO FIND OUT IS TO SUBSCRIBE TO JAIN SPIRIT, AND WE WILL KEEP YOU IN TOUCH.
October December 1999 Jain Spirit 5 www.jainelibrary.org
