The Jain 1988 07

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Samaj Europe

Page 41

Jain
host community, other Indian Communities, the Leicester City Council and the local media.
The people involved in this unique project are from all walks of life and are dedicated to promoting the principles of Jainism. It must be emphasised that the supporters of this cause are from all over the world and include leading Jain scholars, philanthropists, monks, nuns and, of course we, the ordinary Jains.
The Jain Samaj has also an office in London, which started in 1982, to cope with the growing interest in membership in London.
architects from Leicester. Bombay and Ahmedabad.
TEADOR CER
In addition to the organisation of various activities for Jainism, the Jain Samaj publishes The Jain, a trilingual quarterly (English, Gujarati and Hindi), which has a readership of hundreds of persons thoughout the World and which is being recieved by most of the University Libraries in the United Kingdom.
Jain Samaj Europe is fortunate to have international interest and support for its activities. The Jains in India have taken the Jain Centre project to their hearts and have sent a magnificent temple depicting lain architecture as a gift. The All India (Overseas) Jinalaya Samiti, which has been created specifically for this purpose has worked hard to complete the temple according to the plans drawn by the
On 10th November 1983 Shilanyas ceremony, the laying of the foundation stones for the first fully consecrated Jain Temple in the Western World, was performed. The images of Shree Shantinath (79cm). Shree Mahavirswami(64cm) and Shree Parswanath (64cm) had the Anjanshalaka ceremony at Pali (Rajasthan) on 14th December 1984, Late Acharya Shree Kailas Sagarji and Acharya Shree Padmasagar Surishwarji performed this ceremony of
BACK OF THE GARBHAGRIHA
consecration and blessed these images.
Since the day of the Anjanshalaka ceremony, the images were worshipped every day and thousands of devotees have had darshan at Mehsana (Gujarat) and Goregam (Bombay) where these idols were kept.
The auspicious time for the arrival of these images was on Sunday 25th August 1985 in the presence of thousands of Jains and many local dignitaries, M.P.'s and Indian High Commissioner's representatives the images entered the Jain Centre, where they are worshipped regularly by the devotees.
On 8th of July the images will enter Garbagriha (permanent place of abode) and on 20th July they will have Pratistha (installation