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THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS OF
Sriman Danavira Rajyabhushan Sir Seth Hukumchandji, Kt.
At the anniversary of The All-India Digambar Jain Thirthakshetra Committee held at Sravana Belgola on the 13th March 1925.
Respected Gentlemen,
My heart knows no bounds of joy at seeing such a vast assembly of my co-religionists assembled here in this sacred place. The assembly of our "Bharatavarshya Digambar Jain Thirthakshetra Committee" is being celebrated here. You are putting upon me the burden of managing affairs connected therewith. Although I am unfit to occupy such a high position, I think it my duty to perform the function in obedience to your call. The trouble you have taken in coming to this place from different parts of India is not for any selfish motive but only to make a pilgrimage to this sacred place and to augment the glory of this anniversary. But if you find out means to increase and manage the affairs connected with this pilgrimage it will be of no little consequence in comparison to the trouble you have taken in coming here. Before I address the meeting of Bharatavarshya Digambar Jain Thirtakshetra Committee " I think it necessary to find out the means and ways of protecting the things by which our Religion can properly be understood. On considering these two questions we can better our Community. Gentlemen, these places of pilgrimage are immovable monuments where hundreds of Thirthankaras having made penance have obtained Moksha and have consecrated these places of pilgrimage and preached the doctrines of our Religion to millions of their followers. These places of pilgrimages are memories of our ancient teachers and Acharyas. By going to these sacred places we contemplate upon the attributes of Bhagwan; and by doing so we keep our Dharma alive. Therefore it is written in our Sastras that to go on pilgrimage is to preserve the Dharma, and consequently the custom of going on pilgrimage is Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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