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Jaina Community - A Social Survey
Patana only. Some years back the Jaina Sahakārī Bank was established in Bombay and the Bank is running a shop on cooperative basis. As compared with other communities the Jainas do not seem to take more interest in conducting co-operative institutions of various types on a large scale.
In the category of institutions started by the Jainas for their benefit the educational institutions receive considerable attention. Along with religious education, the secular education also is brought within the reach of all members of the Jaina community by various means.288 The Jainas prefer to impart to the students religious and secular education at the same time. For that purpose they have started residential schools and colleges known as Gurukulas where students are prepared for various university courses but at the same time care is taken that they lead a strictly religious life. This Gurukula system is becoming popular because the students trained by them remain religious minded throughout their ijfe and are in a position to maintain themselves. The Mahavira Brahmacharyasrama (or Gurukula) at Kārañia in Mahārashtra and the Yasovijayaji Jaina Gurukula at Palitānā in Gujaratha are notable institutions in this regard. The number of such Gurukulus is small as too much expenditure has to be incurred on them because a majority of the students is admitted without any charges. Where Gurukulas could not be established, Boarding Houses or Hostels have been started at practically all big places and centres of education throughout India. Here residential accommodation is given to the Jaina students free of rent or after paying nominal charges. The students residing in such hostels are free to join any institution for their education but they are compulsorily required to take some elementary religious education, for which provision is made by the authorities, and to lead a religious life, that is, to visit the temple daily, to refrain from eating at night and eating prohibited things, etc. The poor and deserving hostel students are sometimes given financial help in one form or another. With a view to accelerate the spread of education Funds are constituted to give scholarships or loans to deserving students wherever they may be. Generally the scholarship amount is given on the condition that the receiver has to refund it by instalments when he completes his education and is settled in life. In awarding the scholarships preference is shown to those who wish to prosecute higher studies
