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two temples, each dedicated to Lord Adinath and Lord Parshvanath. Inspired by Muni Sushil Kumarji, the Jain community in North America has decided to develop Siddhachalam as a Teerthraj. A project called "Shikharji at Siddhachalam” is underway since August 2010 whereby the famous Jain pilgrimage place Shikharji, the Nirvan Bhoomi of 20 Teerthankars, will be replicated at Siddhachalam. The bhoomi-poojan and khanan mahotsava for the same was done on 28th and 29th August 2010. The project is likely to be completed in the next few years.
Similarly, Acharya Chandanaji, a disciple of Upadhayay Amar Muni has not only been active in the fields of education, healthcare and rehabilitation works for flood and earth quake victims in Kutch, Bihar and other parts of India through Veerayatan since 1972, she has also established a large retirement and vacation resort community in the U.S. known as Sarvodaya Teerth.
Bhagwan Mahavir Chair for Jain Studies Jain Education and Research Foundation established in 2006 by a section of the Jain community in the U.S. to foster the core principles of Jainism has established with one million dollar endowment at Florida International University, Miami. The endowment is a part of a larger initiative by the Jain community to establish an academic education centre. Under the spiritual guidance of Late Acharya Mahapragya, with the blessings from Acharya Mahashraman, and through the efforts of Samani Charitra Pragna (Vice Chancellor, Jain Vishva Bharti University, Ladnun) and Dr. Dipak Jain (renowned educationist and management expert, ex-Dean, Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University), the foundation established a historic milestone when it endowed a perpetual professorship in Jain Studies at FIU in 2010. It is presently chaired by Dr. Nathan Katz, a professor of comparative religion at FIU. Samani Charita Pragya and Unnata Pragya of Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun (Rajasthan, India) have also been associated with the Jain Studies programme since 2006. They have been leading meditation sessions while also teaching graduate and post-graduate courses at FIU. This was the first ever endowed professorship on Jain studies anywhere outside of India. The efforts of JERF have received acclaim all around including special blessings from H.H. Dalai Lama. This is a unique, first ever initiative in
111 Jains in India and Abroad
