Each year, about half a million people make a pilgrimage to 1,500 temples of the Jain religion, perched high on a hill overlooking the town of Palitana in Gujarat, western India.

The ornate buildings make up one of the holiest sites for Jain followers – who believe in lives of harmlessness and think that animals and plants, as well as human beings, contain living souls.

Here, the BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder visits Shatrunjay Hill and makes the long climb with the pilgrims. (follow link for slideshow)

Victorious Ones: Jain Images of Perfection at Rubin Museum of Art from 18th September 2009 to 15 February 2010 www.rmanyc.org, (press release)

Jaina scriptures have prescribed six necessary duties for a Jaina householder, which are: sämäyika, chaturvimashati stava,vandanaka, Pratikramana, käyotsarga and pratyäkhyäna.

Pratikramana is the central theme of these necessary duties as all the other five are included in it. It has been a tradition for Swetamber Jains all over the world to do Pratikramana several times a year. The most important being the Samvantsari Pratikramana on the last day of Paryushana when a lay person confesses and atones for the sins committed knowingly or unknowingly during the past year. However, as the sutras and the prayers which are recited during the Pratikramana are mostly in Sanskrit and Prakrit (Ardhmaghdhi), most devotees do not understand the exact meaning behind the sutras and prayers.

Excellent Gujarati and Hindi texts are available on this subject but I am not aware of any works in simple English. I must confess that I am not a scholar of Jain Religion and this is not a literary translation. It is my interpretation of the sutras and prayers after going through various texts on this subject written by scholars and very able writers. My purpose of writing this book is to give a simplified unconventional English translation to make it easy for an average reader to understand the meaning of the Pratikramana stotras.

This book “Exposition of Pratikramana Stotras” includes the original verses in Gujarati, with transliteration in English followed by as accurate as possible meaning and as clear as possible commentary of the verses. This book will be very helpful to the people who are familiar with the Pratikramana stotras but do not understand the original meanings as they are not well versed in Indian dialects.

My profound gratitude to my friend Dr.Vimal Prakash Jain, retired professor of Jaina Literature of University of Jabalpur at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh India for editing the manuscript and offering many valuable suggestions and comments. I am thankful to my niece and nephew Jyotsna and Sudhir Shah for encouragement and support whenever I needed and my friend Pranay Jain for showing lot of patient and help in preparing this manuscript ready for printing.

I am also very thankful to my friend Satish Shah for many valuable suggestions and comments.

The stotras and the prayers of Pratikramana are not easy to translate as many times there are no equivalent words in English. But I have tried my best to keep the translation as true to the context as possible. In view of this if I have unknowingly misinterpreted the meaning I ask for the forgiveness of the readers and if they have right suggestion to let me know which I can include in any future editions (micchami dukkadam).

Rati Dodhia
12 Mitris Blvd.
Lincoln RI 02865, USA

Link to PDF of book: Exposition of Pratikramana Stotras (PDF, 1mb)

To see a program schedule and to learn more about the radio station, visit their website at www.JainMediaLive.Com

Follow this direct link to listen to the radio station: Jinvani

Please check the attached file (below) for details about JITO.

Best Regards,
Kanti Haria
Chairman & Managing Director Haria Exports Ltd.
Direct: +91 22 40973033
E mail: kanti@hariagroup.com

Please log on to http://www.jainsociety.tampabay.org for details and registration.

Please contact Veni Shah at 813-431-7701 for additional information.

JCSC was established in 1979. At present, there are about 1,000 Jain families in the Los Angeles area.  JCSC has embarked upon a very ambitious development program. The first phase consisting of a 62,000 square feet of Cultural Complex was started in 2002 and completed in 2005.  The second phase consists of a 13,000 square foot Religious Complex which houses the new Derasar and the Ardhana Hall.  The dome and ceiling in the Derasar were designed and fabricated by Nipul Gulabchand Shah of San Diego, CA.  He started fabrication in his house with the help of his wife, Renuka, and son Amar.  This project was made using a special mix of light weight materials. One has to see the dome and the ceiling to really appreciate his art work.  In 2005, he designed and fabricated a Gabaro for the temporary Derasar in the Cultural Complex when the new Derasar was being constructed.  He is presently working on the art work for a new Derasar being built in Atlanta. If you want to know more about the JCSC, please visit the following web site:   www.jaincenter.net/newsite/.  To see photos of the celebration, click on ‘photo gallery’ and to see videos of several programs click on ‘audio/video’ on the left.  Some photos are also posted on our website: www.oshwal-usa.org

Four more Derasars are under construction in the USA and their Pratishtha Mahotsavs are scheduled as follows:

• Atlanta, GA – November 16 thru 24, 2008
• Tampa, FL – November 27 thru 30, 2008
• Phoenix, AZ – December 20 thru 26, 2008
• Chicago, IL – June 20, 2009.

The next bi-annual JAINA Convention will be held in Los Angeles during the July 4th weekend in 2009.

http://www.oshwals.org.au//

OEWA profile in Gujarat Samachar (in Gujarati)

A photo video has been posted online:


I hope this brings inspiration to fellow Oshwals and Jains to visit the Derasar on their next visit to London.

It was the middle of last year that I first heard about a place in Tanzania called Musoma. This enchanting town is the capital of the Mara region, and sits on the eastern edge of Lake Victoria.

I learnt more about this town during a charity walk that aimed to raise funds for dental and medical facilities at Musoma Hospital. This walk was organised by a Dr Manny Vasant (MBE), a dentist by profession, and a truly inspirational humanitarian by nature. He has worked ceaselessly for many years now, trying to improve the healthcare of Musoma – a town with an acute shortage of basic hospital equipment, so vital for survival.

Up until the 1960’s, the town thrived on gold mines, dairy produce, fish, agriculture, sisal and other small scale industries. Sadly, with economic decline, healthcare suffered. Currently, the Musoma regional hospital is the main hospital in town – serving a population of over a million.

When Mr Vasant first visited the hospital, he met a fellow Oshwal, who lost his 9 month old baby due to the lack of an oxygen machine and basic equipment. This could not go on any longer and Manny made it his personal mission to improve healthcare and education in Musoma.

With the funds collected so far, two schools have been refurbished, emergency care facilities at Musoma Hospital have been improved, and a dental surgery unit has been constructed. More details of these wonderful projects are available on the website – www.musoma.org

Iringo School (formerly Nanakchand Primary School) – one of the projects

Mukendo School – stationery, new desks and other furniture, have now been provided.

There is no doubt that these projects are working, and they are slowly improving the lives of the people of Musoma. Most of all, they are bringing hope to a place which was close to giving up. It makes us realise that people are always willing to improve their lives – it’s human nature; but they can only do this if they have the means (facilities and equipment). Sometimes, all that’s needed for a people to thrive, is a strong foundation to build on. And that is what these projects are doing. And the refurbishment of the schools highlights the importance of education in rebuilding society.

Best of all, there are opportunities for us to partake in short-term teaching or just helping out. This includes dentists and doctors, who are willing to provide their services for a period of 6 weeks or longer. I think we can all contribute in some way – financially or physically. Even a little goes a long way….

All the information that you require is on the website – www.musoma.org. Check it out, you will not be disappointed. Tell everyone. Things can only get better.

Article by Mr Keval Ashok Shah (currently working in Lincoln County Hospital, as a Senior House Officer, in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

More than 550,000 Gujarati language lovers have visited http://www.gujaratilexicon.com, within the short span of twenty months.

You too are invited to visit lexicon with a new interface and share the treasure that it contains.

Go to http://www.gujaratilexicon.com/ and open it to find:

Gujarati dictionary on computer.
Gujarati to Gujarati
English to Gujarati
Gujarati to English
and much more…

It is very easy to use. Pass it on to your friends, relations and relatives in the service of Gujarati Language.

Jainadarsh.com is a totally free matrimonial website simple to use and high on features.
Apart form being totally free, what sets it apart is the emphasis on registration of boys and girls with neat and clean habits thereby ensuring that the registrants are at least Jains by their habits. A signed declaration to this effect automatically generated with the details of the applicant immediately upon entering data is insisted upon before the registrant is validated and his /her details are accessible on the site.

The involvement of the parents in this exercise ensures the genuineness of the applicant’s declaration and the active participation of the family. This effort in social service by Vysan Mukta Pariwar of Hyderabad emphasizes the significance of how good habits are essential to a wholesome, happy and fulfilling life, while being of service to the society.

UK’s top tour operators for the Asian Community. Specialising in tours to Europe, Kenya, Tanzania, India, China, Dubai, Oman and many places. Providing pure vegetrian and Jain food on tours.

http://www.directfxsolutions.com

Engineering consulting based on extensive global applied R&D experience pertaining to product conceptualization, analysis, development, and enhancement.

Expertise in systems and controls for heating, cooling, ventilation, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, temperature and humidity control, etc.

Link: http://www.shravi.com

Editor’s note: A “portal” for Jainism from the UK.

FROM THE WEBSITE: The Ultimate Resource for Jains. Information on Jainism,Places of Worship, Associations, Education, Events and more….
Share your views through “FORUMS”
Seek new friends
Network with other Jain members through “MESSAGING”
Build long term relations – Be it for hobbies,business or Seeking a Soul mate.
Inviting Jains to become members . Membership is free!

The Jain Center of Greater Boston (JCGB) is in the process of preparing a new directory of Jains living in the USA. If you have not heard from the JCGB and would like to include information about your family in the directory, then please visit the following site before May 31, 2005:

Mahavira Jayanti is the main Jain festival of the year. Celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahavira by sending inspirational messages to your friends and dear ones. Our e-cards are just apt for this occasion!