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The Jains through Time
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Mahavir's message is her joy. The famous carried out and thoughts and ideas can be 'Bhagwan Mahavir Foundation' of Madras passed on to individuals. More and more has accorded her its highest honour. They branches of Veerayatan are being set up are very impressed with her determination around the world to fulfil this purpose. to carry through her programmes, and Navalveerayatan is being established in astonished at the list of her achievements. Pune. In Bangalore, Ratnagiri and By presenting the award to such a person, it Ahmedabad, Veerayatan institutes are to be was almost as if the award itself were being started up in the near future. England, honoured.
America, Canada and Africa have already
seen the opening of Shri Chandana The founding of Veerayatan in Bihar was Vidyapeeth. In this way the great banyan' is not just a matter of spreading Tirthankar growing and more and more people are Mahavir's beliefs but also of making the land coming under the protective shade of its of Magadh fertile again so that it would give mighty canopy. birth to many Mahavirs. This enormous task was made possible by individuals working The story of Veerayatan's construction is one hard and trusting in their own strength of many sacrifices. It is the fruit of profound rather than being dependent on others. The austerity, dedication and endurance. It is a spirit of self-reliance turned this desolate process of re-igniting the light of the spot into a veritable heaven on earth. It is Tirthankars in the land of their origin, and progressive thoughts and practical deeds like re-establishing the glory of these prophets these which have in the short span of 25 there. Many streams of devotion by years brought Veerayatan to the heights of countless people are merged here; many success. Veerayatan is not so much a place people, like offerings of flowers, have but more an idea and its proliferation is dedicated their lives to this cause. It has won irresistible. A location or place, however, is the hearts of thousands of people and is also needed, so that good works can be supported by innumerable souls, and is
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