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Chapter 31. Religious Activities
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recovered from an endowment for which Oshwals have generously donated funds for 365 tithis (meals) annually.
Mrs.Jemaben Premchand Dodhia and Chandrakant Premchand Dodhia (Navagam/Nairobi), and Hemlataben and Dhirajlal Meghji Sojpar Dhanani (Nairobi) officially opened the breakfast hall on February 19 1989. A part of the total cost was recovered from a separate endowment for which funds have been donated by Oshwals.
The yatrik gruh became very popular not only with Oshwals but people of other communities. At present there are 68 rooms, 9 dormitories, an assembly hall, a dining hall, a breakfast hall, navkarshi gruh, ayambil gruh, upashray and a aradhna hall. It has a beautiful garden and the facilities are maintained very well.
The credit for building and maintaining this excellent facility goes to Somchand Pethraj Gosrani, the trustee.
East Africa
In East Africa things were not different. Even after 50 years of settlement there was no organized religious teaching by qualified teachers. Only in Mombasa and Nairobi were religious activities going on but on a very small scale.
Mombasa: A house was rented in 1918, which was used for a guesthouse for travelers as well as for religious activities.
Mombasa Shri Svetamber Deravasi Jain Sangh: Devji Kara brother of Hirji Kara work very hard and established a religious association called Svetamber Deravasi Jain Sangh in 1922. He was elected at its first president and he served in that capacity till 1931. The Sangh purchased a building on Rogers Road in 1923, which was converted
