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Gujarat Earthquake
It has now been over 4 months since the terrible Gujarat earthquake. The dust has literally settled and the aid and relief has reached all parts of the effected areas. The wider aspects of the disaster have now become apparent such as the plummet in house prices especially flats and the poor shape of the local economy. Nevertheless, the earthquake has brought together communities and has revealed a caring and charitable side from all that have a connection with Gujarat.
Restoration of Jain Temples in Kutch
Muslim Guards Protects Temple Through Earthquake
Haji Bhura, a 70 year old man residing in Kutch, India, has been guarding a Jain temple for the last 20 years. The Mahavir Swami Temple in Kutch, the second most important pilgrim centre for Jains after Palitana, was totally destroyed after the Gujarat earthquake, apart from a 500 year old statue of Lord Mahavir. The guard, who is a devout Muslim, said "My job is to protect this temple. So if it is in ruins today that does not abrogate my duties. I still have to guard Lord Mahavir!" Haji continues "How can I desert him in this hour of crisis? What if his devotees come to see him pray and go back seeing the debris? I tell them where the Lord is".
On 26 January, 2001, India's Republic Day, hundreds of Jain temples were destroyed in the worst and most disastrous earthquake ever in the Gujarat province. Many temples have collapsed and the sacred idols have been seriously damaged. Bhadreshwar, one of the three most sacred pilgrimage places, is badly damaged and temples of 13 villages (a.k.a. Teragam) will need heavy repairs.
Tapovan Sanskarpith of Bhachau has collected information of losses and is preparing plans for restoration. Jain Muni Chandrasekhar Vijayji said that 205 idols from 65 such damaged temples have been located. Jain Sadhu said that millions of rupees were spent in erecting these temples and huge funds are now required to restore them. Lalitbhai Dhami supervised the team of about 40 volunteers touring the sites, assessing the losses and bringing these valuables to safe place under proper custody with records of location. Besides idols (Pratimajis), statues and images, there were gold, jewelry and silver utensils, Gnan Bhandars of rare manuscripts (libraries), and other pieces of Jain art and architecture were found extensively damaged. Truckloads of idols and other materials were moved to Tapovan in Gandhinagar, near Ahmedabad.
About 45 diamond-merchants of Mumbai went to various places collecting for safe custody precious murtis, gold, jewellery, silver canopy, precious stone studded jewellery, materials and other temple properties. Jainacharya Gunyashurishwarji from Mumbai's Valkeshwar temple and his disciple Kirtiyashsurishwarji in their daily sermons referred to this tragedy and inspired many youths for humanitarian work. Approximately twenty million Rupees were collected initially at a meeting. Jain Sashan Pratisthanam sent groups of 25-youths at different places. The groups were involved in the recovering of temple materials and safeguarding the properties, to prevent undesirable elements taking advantage of the situation. In addition, daily puja could not be done for a few days, as there was no one to do such ceremonies. About 100 temples and prayer halls (Upashrays) were visited. Some of the broken images will be ceremonially de-stigmatised and dropped in the ocean.
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Children from all over the U.K. helped to raise funds for Gujarat.
Jain Education International 2010_03
ILLUSTRATION DEPICTING A MUSLIM GUARD, WITH A STICK, PROTECTING STATUE.
JAINA Plans to Build Village
Bhuj, Gujarat, India: The Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) completed building a village for the victims of the Orissa cyclone on 14 March 2001, and are now planning to build another village
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for the victims of the Gujarat earthquake. The village, called Mahavir Gram, consists of 68 houses and a school, and is situated about 40 miles away from Cuttack in the cyclone effected area. Similarly, the Gujarat village will be built near Bhuj, one of the most devastated areas in the earthquake. The Gujarati government has given 15 acres of land to the project.
June-August 2001 Jain Spirit 11
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