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Part IV. Rise and Glory
Swami, which was originally installed in the swadhyay mandir, was later moved to the main temple). Two images of Lord Neminath and Lord Suryakirtinath (future Tirthankar) are made of five metal (Panchdhatu).
Young Jains Nairobi (YJN): As the younger generation was eager to learn more systematically about Jainism a movement was underway to form an organized group. It came true and Young Jains Nairobi (YJN) was established under the guidance of Shashikantbhai Mehta of Rajkot in 1996.
Revered Sadhviji Shilpaji was invited to Nairobi by YJN and a religious school Shri Chandna Vydyapeeth (SCVP) to teach Jainism was stared for children with the blessings from Acharya Shri Chandnaji in 1997. By the year 2003, four hundred students attend the classes on every Saturday morning. Because of the success of this venture even parents started showing keen interest in learning more about Jainism. An adult class was started where by the year 2003 around two hundred adult students mostly women attend the class.
The YJN holds religious camps, workshops, exhibitions and pilgrimages to promote the Jainism. They even publish a quarterly newsletter focusing on different aspects of Jainism. Because of tremendous success of SCVP in Nairobi, communities in Thika, Eldoret and Kisumu started similar projects under the guidance of YJN.
Thika: In Thika a Jain temple (ghar derasar) was built in the mahajanwadi with donations from the Vershi Mepa, Mulji Mepa and Devsi Mepa families. The installation ceremony of images took place on July 2, 1951. The images are of three Tirthankars - Shri Mahavir Swami, Shri Dharmanath and Shri Neminath. A foundation stone for a new domed Jain temple to be built at the site of old temple was laid on February 23, 1990. In addition to the images of the three Tirthankars, images of two more
