Ahimsa Times
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JAIN SAINT SETTLING FOR HOLY CHATURMAS PERIOD
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The holy period of four months "Chaturmas", which is much observed in Jainism has begun. Chaturmas is the period of rainy season in the country and meant for self-purification. All over country Jain Saint reach their Chaturmas destination for next four months. Jain Saints observe their annual 'Rains Retreat' during this period by living in one place during the entire period amidst lay people and giving religious discourses or teaching meditation to the local public. For the Jain Saint, Chaturmas is reserved for preaching, penance, austerities, fasting and religious observances. Jain devotees resolve to observe Chaturmas with vows such as observing silence; abstaining from a favourite food item; having only a single meal in a day or spending time in the company of the holy people. Among the Jains, the period is a suitable time for householders to have an annual renewal of the faith by listening to discourses on dharma, doing meditation, exercising self-control and undergoing penance; and performing charity. One of the most important Jain festivals, Paryushana, falls during this period, which concludes with Forgiveness Day, Kshamavani Diwas, wherein lay people and disciples say Micchami Dukkadam and ask forgiveness from each other.
RALLY MARKS 'CHATURMAS' SOJOURN
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AACHARAYA MAHASHRAMANJI REACHES CHATURMAS VENUE
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10th July 2016: Guwahati: The Chaturmas Sanmilan of Tera Panth Jainism got under way with the arrival of Acharyashri Mahashramanji this morning at Chaturmas Sthal at Garal near the LGBI airport. Acharyashri reached the Chaturmas Sthal early morning. Bimal Nahata, president of the organizing committee, informed that the Archayashri, accompanied by over 100 monks, reached the site at 8 am. Acharyashri inaugurated the newly constructed Archryshri Mahashraman Research Foundation Bhawan at 8.15 am at the Chaturmas Sthal. Then he was accorded warm felicitation by thousands of Terapanthi Jain devotees coming from different parts of the country. According to Bimal Nahata Acharyashri has come with a mission to spread the messages of nonviolence, harmony, unity, social uplift and anti-drug campaign. He is leading an Ahimsa Yatra and will stay here at the Chaturmas Sthall till November 14. Acharyashri Mahashraman, the Supreme Head of the Terapanth Jain sect, also addressed the Terapanth devotees in a mammoth gathering and appealed to root out social evils, superstitions and orthodoxies.
The Gauhati University and Jain Viswa Bharti University jointly organised a lecture on âSocial Transformation and Harmonyâ which was delivered by the Acharyashri at the BKB auditorium, on July 9. An annual award of Rs one lakh was b instituted on the occasion, which will be given every year to persons working in the field of social transformation and harmony.
TERROR IN THE NAME OF ISLAMIC PRACTICES IS SHAME ON HUMANITY - DHAKA MASSACRE
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The incidence of Ms Tarishi Jain and 19 Others innocent lives slaughtered in Dhaka massacre is shameful for the humanity........We the '"Indians "' condemn this barbarism and pray for all those innocents, who lost their lives in this mindless adventurism....Its a tragedy for the humanity at large....We have the right to ask these self -proclaimed and misguided individuals "What Kind of Muslims are these who are killing humans During RAMZAN "....This Can not be a religion....May God Bless and Guide them with serenity and sensibilities to understand their issues and ways resolve these... Ahimsa Times.
S. M. Imtiaz Khan Babul, a Bangladeshi politician from the ruling Awami League party, whose son was one of the suspected terrorists has offered an apology to the Jain family. Asif Khan, a campus alumni born in Dhaka, and Tina Jabeen, a Bay Area Bangladeshi community leader, noted their shock and disbelief at the current state of their home country, Bangladesh. The flags of America, Bangladesh and India stood tall on the steps of Sproul Plaza as a memorial vigil took place to commemorate campus sophomore and Indian citizen Tarishi Jain and other victims who lost their lives alongside her in the terror attacks that took place in Bangladesh.
Tarishi Jain, 18, was in Dhaka completing an e-commerce growth internship with Eastern Bank Limited organized through UC Berkeleyâs Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies. She began her internship in early June. Tarishi were born in Hong Kong, studied at the American International School in Dhaka and went on to pursue higher educational goals in USA.
DIG. SAINT SAURABH SAGAR MAHARAJ ATTACKED AND INJURED BY ARMED GOONS
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19th July, 2016: New Delhi: While walking on Tijara Highway in Alwar District of Rajasthan, Digambar Saint Shri Saurabh Sagarji Maharj was seriously injured by unidentified armed gangsters. Gangsters hit several times Munishri by knives all over his body. The entire community is in shock and condemns this act of violence. We request the local administration and the police to react and take appropriate action against the culprits. We also request the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to take note of the unfortunate incidence and issue the required directions. (In photograph above, you can see Munishri lying on hospital bed with injuries on hand and leg.)
GOVT. ROLLS OUT DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR SHRAVANABELAGOLA
30th June 2016: Gearing up for the once-in-12-years celebration, the Maha Mastakabhisheka of Bahubali at Shravan-abelagola in Hassan district, the state government appears to have mooted a cooperative model to host devotees and tourists who flock the village in large numbers. Besides spending Rs. 575 crore, the state government has offered to grant land to other states to build facilities to host devotees from their respective states during the weeklong celebrations in veneration of Bahubali in February, 2018. Holding the first-ever meeting of the organising committee of Mastakabhisheka in Vidhana Soudha, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not only approved the budget outlay of Rs. 575 crore for the event but also assured all possible help for the Jain Community to successfully conduct the world famous event. Later, giving details of the meeting, animal husbandry minister said the money would be spent to create infrastructure like road and rail connectivity, sign-boards, arches, etc, to guide the tourists who congregate from various parts of the world.
Cooperative model: Even though the government will be setting up nearly 25,000 tents over 700 acres of agricultural land acquired from local farmers on a temporary basis, for the first time, the state government has offered to facilitate devotees in a cooperative model. State Government will give the required quantity of land to those states from where large numbers of devotees flock to the village during the festival to build halls to accommodate devotees. Until now, the Rajasthan government has come forward for two acres of land for the purpose. The celebration recognised as the largest Jain congregation in the world, is held once every 12 years in veneration of Lord Bahubali. The celebrations include anointing of the 1035-year-old Gommateshwara statue, the largest monolithic statue in the world, standing atop Vindhyagiri mountain. The government expects about 40 lakh devotees from various parts of the world. The last Mastakabhisheka was held in 2006 and around 20 lakh people had participated. The state government had spent Rs116 crore for the event.
Connectivity Gets Facelift - The State Government has resolved to give a facelift to connectivity, especially the rail and road network. The rail connectivity to Shravanabelagola village will be inaugurated in December this year. A total of Rs 400 crore are being spent on improving the roads that lead to the Jain pilgrimage centre. Though the ASI had shot down a proposal to build a ropeway to the top of the mountain, it has approved the proposal to widen the existing steps. The widening work will commence in about a month's time. The existing steps will be widened by two feet on either side, accommodating more devotees. Since the ropeway proposal was rejected, the government is mulling over adopting eco-friendly technologies to work out logistics.
IN RAJASTHAN TEXTS, MAHAVIR IS BUDDHA, AULIA GETS BACK HANDED COMPLIMENT
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14th July 2016: Jaipur: In Rajasthan Government school text book, a Class III chapter on Lord Mahavir shows the accompanying photo of the Jain saint seated, and suspiciously looks like Lord Buddha. The Jain community is enraged at the photograph of Lord Mahavir in the Class III textbook "Apna Parivesh Aur Pryavaran Adhyayan". Secretary of Shri Mahavirji, a prominent religious destination of Digambar Jains in Rajashthan, Mahendra Patni said: ''Bhagwan Mahavir or any Jain deity never sit in the position of giving blessings. He sits either in Padmasan, Ardhpadmasan or Khadgasan. This is the picture of Gautam Buddha.'' The Jains have asked for the âmistakeâ to be corrected. However, the Rajasthan Pathya Pustak Mandal has already printed and delivered 20 Lakh copies of the book. The content was prepared by the Rajasthan State Institute of Education Research and Training (SIERT).
HASTINAPUR JAIN TEMPLE TO ACCOMMODATE FLOOD AFFECTED VILLAGERS
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7th July 2016 Meerut: With the water level of Ganga likely to rise in the wake of heavy rains Jain temple located in Hastinapur will open its doors and provide shelter to villagers living in flood-prone areas. In a letter to the temple management, the SDM stated, "As a large number of villagers reside in wetland areas, they could face problems when the water level rises in Ganga. We need to accommodate them in the temple as well as the dharamshala. I hope the temple doors would be thrown open to the village folk and their livestock in case the need arises." The administration has also reserved Atmanand Jain Inter College in Hastinapur to house villagers in case of a flood-like situation.
INSCRIPTION ON LAST JAIN TEMPLE IN TELANGANA FOUND
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20th June 2016: A three-faced stone inscription indicate that, it was indeed the last Jain temple in the region, also pointing out the patronage of the Jain religion, 850 years ago. The inscription in Sanskrit and Telugu languages narrate how a temple for the 24th Jain Thirthankara, Sri Vardhamana Mahaveera, was constructed by one Manikya Setti and also how the revenues of an entire village called Muppayapalli was donated by Bhaktula Pochenayudu for its maintenance. Interestingly, farmers of Mallaram found the stone as they were clearing shrubs to reclaim land, eight years ago. The inscriptions have several contexts in the chronicles of the history of Telangana. It is the last inscription discovered thus far, throwing light on the construction of a Jain temple in Telangana. Then it demarcates a line for the disappearance of Jainism and being replaced by a new religious sect called âVeera Saivismâ. Also, it indicates the predominance of the Setti community (Komati today) among the Jains in those days. Mention of a lady, Giri Devasani, in the inscription indicates the value that was given to women in those days. She is said to have succeeded her father Doddalasiddhi Setti as the Chief Priest of the Parshavanatha temple, whose sculpture is found, apart from the Kakatiya symbols of the ox and the sun-moon on all four sides of the stone.
RS. 7 CRORE BIDS FOR JAIN MONK SHRI MADVIJAY RAVINDRASURI MAHARAJSAHEBJI LAST RITES
27th Sep 2016 Mumbai: Members of the Jain community in India as well as abroad bid a collective Rs. 7 crore to carry out the last rites of Shri Madvijay Ravindrasuri Maharajsahebji (62), who passed in Rajgarh, a small town in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. This is a community ritual where bids are called for the right to perform the last rites of Jain monks. Bids were called for 25 rituals, including washing the monk's feet, wrapping the body in a shroud, performing the last aarti and applying saffron and chandan to the body. The bidding was spirited, and the amount rose steadily. Eventually, land developers and gold dealers won most of the bids.
Jayesh bhai from Dubai, for instance, won a bid of Rs. 68 Lakh to be the first pall bearer, while the second, third and fourth pall bearers paid Rs. 42 lakh, Rs. 27 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh each. The bidder who got to wrap the body in a shroud had pledged Rs. 52.52 lakh. In the hierarchy of monks, Maharajsahebji was one of the senior-most in the Tristutik sect. Under Shri Madvijay Ravindrasuri Maha rajsahebji, 85 devotees, 10 men and 75 women had taken `diksha'. "The money collected by the Mohankheda temple in Rajgarh, where he died, will be used by the temple trust for religious activities and to continue the work undertaken by the monk," said a source from the temple. Babulal Vardhan from Rajasthan bathed the body of Shri Maharajsahebji, before he was placed on the pyre, for a sum of Rs. 41.41lakh. The practice of bidding, or 'ghee bolo', started 450 years ago to catalyse community charity. Bids are not invited at every monk's passing. Many funerals are performed by local Jain associations. Hirabhai Parekh, who heads the Kalapurna Suri Smarak Sangh, said "big ticket" bidding is associated with those who have a huge following.
UNIVERSAL PEACE POSSIBLE THROUGH JAIN PHILOSOPHY â ACHARYA LOKESH MUNI
13th July 2016, New Delhi: Founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni said that Bhagwan Mahavir philosophy of nonviolence and unity in diversity can build the atmosphere of harmony, cordiality, unity and brotherhood in the society. He said that violence and terrorism cannot solve any problem; violence gives rise to counter violence. Every problem can be solved through dialogue. Acharya Lokesh Muni was addressing the Anniversary Celebration of International School of Jain Studies organised at India International Centre. Acharya Lokesh said that Jain philosophy is highly scientific and practical, it is a lifestyle. By living life according to Jain philosophy person can have happy, healthy and delightful life. He said that philosophy of nonviolence and unity in diversity should reach the masses to build healthy society. Chief Minister appreciating the efforts made by Acharya Lokesh Muni to establish nonviolence, peace and harmony at national and international level said that only Saints can show the path to establish Global Brotherhood.
ISJS provides an important link between the Jain Community and the academic world by providing students and scholars the opportunity to study Jainism during an intensive summer program in the North India. The summer study program began with 7 scholars and students in 2005 and 700 scholars and students from 25 countries and 40 Universities have taken part in it till now. This year 92 people from different countries have taken part in this program. On the occasion Officer of Minority Ministry of India Mr. Badruddin, Dr. H. P. Kanodia, Mr. Nirmal Sethi also expressed their views. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni was honoured with Memento and Shawl. Mr. Badruddin, Dr. H. P. Kanodia, Mr. Nirmal Sethi and other donors were also honoured. Source: Kenu A. Sharma, Media Secretary, 9811025332. Acharya Lokesh Ashram: New Delhi - 110060, E-Mail:
COURT ORDERS FIR AGAINST AKHLAKH FOR COW SLAUGHTER - DR. SURENDRA JAIN VHP
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The Vishwa Hindu Parishad welcomes the order of the judiciary to file an FIR against Akhlakh and his family for Cow-slaughter in the Bishada episode. Now, it is crystal clear who the real culprit is. It has turned out that the man who was supposed to be at the receiving end was actually the real criminal. On the other hand, the Hindu society, which was being portrayed as the perpetrators of the crime were the ones who were the victims. The villagers had been shouting from roof-tops from day one, saying that a calf had gone missing a day before the death of Akhlakh and that Akhlakhâs brother had been seen slaughtering the calf. The villagers had only gone to Akhlakhâs home to elicit information but the situation got out of control only due to the bad behavior of Akhlakh and his family. Unfortunately, in the din of the secular mafia of the country, truth was buried and instead the Hindu society was shown as if they were the perpetrators of the crime of killing Akhlakh. The forensic report had established that the meat obtained from the house of Akhlakh was beef. The Akhilesh government should have then and there taken back the case against falsely-implicated Hindus and taken action against the Akhlakh family. But it was really unfortunate how the state government tried to falsify the report.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad demands that the case of cow-slaughter be investigated in a fair manner and in a fast-paced way, the family of Akhlakh should be sent to jail immediately, the case against the innocent Hindus should be taken back and they should be relased respectfully and all the compensation and facilities that were showered on Akhlakh should be taken back. Those Hindus who were physically and mentally tortured should be adequately compensated. Now the Uttar Pradesh government and the conspiracy of the secular mafia stands completely exposed. They must apologise to the nation for their misdemeanor. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad warns the Uttar Pradesh Government not try to sweep this issue under the carpet in the name of vote-bank politics. The Hindu society is already reeling under the burden of false accusations and it will not tolerate any more conspiracies. Vishwa Hindu Parishad, E-Mail:
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IIT-KHARAGPUR TO CONFER DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD TO AJIT JAIN
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12th July 2016: Kolkata: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will confer the Distinguished Alumnus Award on the occasion of the 62nd convocation of the Institute which will be organized on July 30 and 31. Ajit Jain an eminent alumni has been selected for the award for his exceptional professional achievements. Ajit Jain (IIT KGP B.Tech./Mechanical Engineering/1972 batch), President of Reinsurance Division, Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group, USA. Shri Jain is a visionary in the global investment sector, having led Berkshire Hathaway to great heights. He is a well-known philanthropist as well funding the Jain Foundation with the mission is to cure muscular dystrophies. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is one of the highest recognition given of accomplishment and contribution of an alumnus/alumna from the Institute. Ajit Jain will be given a gold medal and a certificate.
SPECIAL COVER RELEASED ON SETH SHANKARDAN NAHATA AT BIKANER
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A special cover and special cancellation has been issued at Bikaner (Rajsthan) on 28th June 2016 on Jain personality Seth Shankardan Nahata. He was multi-talented orator, diligent entrepreneur, philanthropist and social leader. In a grand release function organized at Bikaner, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal (MP), Shri Giriraj Meena (I. G. Police) and Shri S. S. Shekhawat (Superintendent of Post Offices) released this special cover. Senior member of Jainism Philately Group Shri Lalit Kumar Nahata was instrumental in issue of this cover.
Earlier on 19th March 2015, a special cover was also issued on Shri Agar Chand Nahata who was son of Shri Shankardan Nahata. Source: Sudhir Jain, E-Mail: .
SAURABH JAIN NOMINATED TO BOD
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7th July 2016 Ludhiana: The Government of India has nominated Saurabh Jain, an IAS officer, to the Board of Directors (BoD) of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for implementation of Smart City Mission in Ludhiana. The Centre was supposed to send a nominee to the board to monitor the functioning under the Smart City Mission. The government has nominated officials from the Ministry of Urban Development for 20 cities that made it to the first list of Smart Cities in the country. It is pertinent to mention here that Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria; Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat; Police Commissioner Jatinder Aulakh; MC Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, Sanjay Goel, chairman of Indian Institutes of Architects, Punjab Chapter, Ludhiana; KNS Kang, Vice Chairman, Ludhiana Management Association; Rajinder Gupta, vice-chairman, Punjab State Planning Board; N. K. Sharma, Chief Engineer, Central Zone, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Ludhiana; and Lachman Das, Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation; are already members of the Board of Directors.
SALUTE TO ANOOP JAIN OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, USA, FOR HIS EXEMPLARY VISION
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First, he raised $30,000 to build a community soup kitchen to help Tibetan refugees in north India. It was there, that he realised the importance of improved public health as a means of empowerment. He continued working in rural India before reaching Bihar, where SHRI (Sanitation and Health Rights in India), formerly known as Humanure Power, was formed. The organisation builds free-to-use public toilets in Bihar. These toilets then use the methane gas produced to purify drinking water, which is supplied to several hundred people at a nominal cost. His organisation also works alongside the community to combat other sanitation related problems. SHRI currently has four facilities, and they aim to build two more by the end of this summer. Apart from helping in sanitation in the state, SHRI also employs only the poorest of people to construct their facilities.
Not surprisingly, Jain has won many accolades for his efforts in the field of sanitation. He is in the list of Forbes ''30 under 30'' social entrepreneurs. He is also pursuing his doctorate in public health at the University of California, Berkeley. His free-to-use toilets are already reaching out to the poorest sections of people in Bihar. The toilets receive a traffic of around 3000-4000 people everyday. Moreover, they also distribute 100,000 litres of clean water through their water ATMs every month.
NEW BOOKS ON JAINISM
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Understanding Jainism: By Prof Dr. Lawrence Babb, Published in 2016: This book is designed to be an introduction to Jainism as a religious tradition and way of life. It opens with a retelling of Lord Mahavira, whom Jains revere as the most recent of their great omniscient teachers, and stresses the key role his life-story plays as a charter for Jain belief and practice. This is followed by chapters dealing with Jain teachings as they are manifested in varying contexts: as formal doctrines but also as guideposts shaping the way of life of lay Jains as well as the monastic spiritual elite. No discussion of Jainism would be complete without a description of its extremely complex systems of biological and cosmographic knowledge, and the book devotes a chapter to showing how these systems express basic Jain concepts and values.
In the book, the author reflects on the question of the relationship between Jain and Hindu religious identities. Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are grouped together as ancient Indic religions. All three religions have similarities as well as differences as they have coexisted together for thousands of years, influencing and in turn being influenced by each other. The relationship between these three faiths may be understood by this analogy; Three magnificent palaces were built close to each other, using the same raw materials. Despite obvious similarities, all three are distinct and unique. These palaces may be understood as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. As an introduction to Jainism as a religious tradition and way of life, this book pays due attention to Jainismâs history and doctrinal basics. However, the author also traces the ways in which formal Jain teachings are manifested in the practices of both laity and the monastic elite, explores the distinctive Jain systems of cosmographic and biological knowledge, and describes how Jainism is woven into the social identities of Jain communities in modern India.
The author, Lawrence A Babb is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Amherst College, Massachusetts. He is the author of several books and a renowned scholar of South Asian Studies. Source: Manish Yashodhar Modi, E-Mail:
VARIDHI MAHOTSAVA MARKS REUNION OF SEER VARDHMAN SAGARJI & MUNI PRAGYA SAGARJI
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23rd Jun 2016: Ujjain: Acharya Vardhman Sagar Maharaj reunited to Muni Pragya Sagar after a long time during Varidhi Mahotsava hosted at Mahavir Tapo Bhumi. The divine confluence of the eminent seers was witnessed by Jain community devotees. Seer Vardhman Sagar is leading a troupe of 37 seers and sadhwis. A procession was taken out to celebrate the moments of reunion of the seers. Women clad in saffron sarees were carrying urns on their heads. 27 families washed the feet of the Seer and welcomed them. Then they visited the main temple of Lord Mahavir and other temples. Kalash and Shanti Dhara rituals were performed. Varidhi Mahotsava was inaugurated with a devotional dance performance by little girls. Seers were felicitated by prominent citizens of the community. A dance drama was also presented by the members of Pragya Kala Manch in which they presented the life sketch of Muni Vardhman Sagar.
Addressing on this occasion Muni Pragya Sagar said, it was a privilege to get an opportunity to wash feet of such great seer. Chaturmas programme was also declared by the seer. He will practise Chaturmas in Bapugaon Chhota Girnar near Jaipur. Talking about Seer Vardhman Sagar, he told that he (Vardhman Sagar) had followed the principles taught to him by his Guru Shanti Sagar. It is too difficult to practise these traditions in the materialistic world today. Muni Vardhman Sagar in his discourse said, there is a mention of the historical land of Ujjain in Jain scriptures. Mahavir Swami came there to practise penance 2600 years ago. He called the foundation of Tapo Bhumi as incredible in a short span.
RIDDHI JAIN CONFERRED ILA AWARD IN INTERIORS
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25th June 2016: Delhi: Messe Frankfurt India in collaboration with the Guild of Designers and Artists conferred ''Interior Lifestyle Award 2016''on Riddhi Jain. Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India, said: ''Over 500 entries from across the country went through an exhaustive evaluation process. Challenging the finalists to integrate bold themes of genesis, metamorphosis, serendipity and quintessential in interior spaces, the awards made way for a special experience zone which has been set up by the contestants for the final round.'' Riddhi Jain (Home Textile Category) will now represent India in Hemitexil and Ambiente Frankfurt 2017 to be organised next year at Frankfurt, Germany.
Arranged by German trade fair organisers Messe Frankfurt, the event showcased a variety of products in home furnishing categories, and was inaugurated by Delhiâs Minister for Industries Satyendar Jain. Welcoming a pool of exquisite fabric and home furnishings by the organisers, he said, ''I congratulate Messe Frankfurt for creating this international level show, which will provide the much-needed opportunity to domestic traders to enhance their business and aid the growth and promotion of Indian textiles.''
GUJARAT BJP CHIEF SAYS: JAINS DIDN'T WANT MINORITY STATUS
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26th Jun 2016 Ahmedabad: According to Vijay Rupani, state transport minister and Gujarat BJP president, "The Jain community in the country did not want minority status but the Congress leadership, just ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, granted them this status." Vijay Rupani, who is himself a Jain, ironically made this statement at a workshop 'Sath Sath', organised by Minority Development Trust. The workshop was held to raise awareness about the benefits of minority status.
Rupani said: "There are some anti-Hindu forces out to divide Hindus. We are opposed to the tag of a 'minority'. We are party of the majority community only, but this was given to us by the Congress leaders who wanted to cash in on Jain votes during the election. The community is a part of the Hindu community irrespective of minority status." Rupani further said that there were some representation made by some members of the community for this status in Gujarat, but the government was waiting for the Patel agitation to calm down as it could have made matters worse. The state government issued a notification granting minority status to Jains on May 8, 2016.
GUJARAT GOVT. WORKSHOP ON JAIN MINORITY STATUS
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25th June 2016: Ahmedabad: To create the awarness about the benefit of minority status, the Gujarat govt. organised a awareness camp. Senior government officers provided information about the benefits of minority status and what the community can receive from the government. They also apprised community members of various schemes. About 300 community leaders were invited to the workshop which was attended by senior government officials. Special arrangements were in made for students who wanted the information on how to get scholarships for higher studies and for studies abroad. Officials informed participants of the various benefits for businessmen and the documentation required to avail of these benefits.
MANOJ JAIN ARRESTED BY GUJARAT ATS IN EPHEDRINE SEIZURE CASE
23rd June 2016: Ahmedabad: Gujarat ATS arrested Manoj Jain in the ephedrine seizure case worth Rs 270 crore from a factory at Kanbha on the outskirts of the city in April 2016. Raids were also carried out by Thane police at a factory in Solapur and ephedrine worth over Rs 2000 crore was seized. Manoj jain was nabbed by Thane police then. ATS sources said Manoj Jain was the owner of the company located in Solapur from which ephedrine was transported to Ahmedabad factory. ATS sources said that Vicky Goswami, son of a former cop from Ahmedabad was to help the alleged drug traffickers to transport methamphetamine from Kenya to other countries and underworld don Pujari had established contacts with drug lords of those countries.
SUNIL KUMAR JAIN APPOINTED AS ACTING CHIEF OF MEGHALAYA POLICE
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1st July 2016 Shillong: Senior IPS officer Sunil Kumar Jain was appointed as the acting Chief of Meghalaya Police following the retirement from service of Rajiv Mehta. Sunil Jain, a 1984 batch IPS officer is allowed to hold temporary charge of the post of DGP in addition to his own duties with effect from the date of taking over charge and until further orders.
PARAS JAIN: THE LONE CABINET MINISTER FROM MALWA REGION
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1st July 2016 Ujjain: The Education Minister Paras Jain who represents Malwa region has joined the cabinet of MP Govt. in recent cabinet expansion. BJP enjoys huge strength in the state assembly as most of the party MLAs go victorious from Ujjain and Indore divisions. Out of 29 seats of this division, the party has strength of 28 MLAs. So, a number of them were in the race of minister ship. Yashpal Singh Sisodia, Omprakash Sakhlecha and Jadish Deora were the front runners. From Indore, names of Ramesh Mendola and Sudarshan Gupta were also doing the rounds. But, when the CM formally expanded his cabinet on Thursday evening, none of the said ministerial aspirants could get the berth. With this, Paras Jain (MLA from Ujjain north) became the only cabinet minister from the region. While talking to press he said, it's his duty to concentrate on doing the work and the God gives fruit in return. He also said that, one should consider it as a biggest success if people return with satisfaction from his home or office.
ANURAG JAIN, CHAIRMAN OF ACCESS HEALTHCARE, NAMED 2016 EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
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28th June 2016 Dallas: Anurag Jain, Chairman of Access Healthcare was recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 for the Southwest Region of the United States. Now celebrating its 30th year, the EY black tie gala was an event where Jain was awarded the top honor among leading entrepreneurs selected to participate from 145 cities in 60 countries. The EY program uses an independent panel of judges to evaluate selected entrepreneurs in demonstrating excellence and extraordinary success in areas of innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
In his acceptance speech, he said, ''Twenty-three years ago, I got off a plane in Detroit thinking where would I go in this strange new land; how will I make a difference in the world. Two years later I started my first company.'' He went on to say, ''An entrepreneur does two things: One is create vision and passion, where you bring an idea. The second is harnessing five forces⦠family, mentors, employees, partners, and customersâ¦which are the very oxygen we breath!'' Jain closed by saying, ''Iâm honored to share this journey with many great people including more than 6000 incredible employees around the world.''
Prior to founding Access Healthcare, Jain led all of service delivery for Dell Services which was 18,000 employees. Jain also started several other companies including Brigade Corporation, Vision Healthsource, and the recently acquired IQ Back office. Jain also founded Laurus Edutech, a leading vocational training company, and co-founded the National Skills Development Corporation, a market-first in public-private partnership in India. Jain currently serves on the board of the East West institute, a global think tank focused on innovation in solving security threats. He also serves on the board of the North Texas Food bank as Vice Chairman.
About Access Healthcare- Exceptional healthcare organizations compliment the highest standards of care with a commitment to excellence in revenue cycle management. Billing companies and healthcare provider systems use Access Healthcare to bring excellence to their back office Revenue Cycle Management enabling better focus on strategic priorities, like profitability and creating great patient experiences. By leveraging the Access Healthcare Best Practice Engine for Revenue Cycle Management, our focus on creating results enables not only improved profitability, but opportunity to cultivate growth through reduced costs, better productivity, and higher quality.
GUJARATI LITTERATEUR RAGHUVEER CHAUDHURI GETS JNANPITH AWARD
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12th July 2016 New Delhi: Gujarati litterateur Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhuri was honoured with the 51st Bharatiya Jnanpith award for the year 2015 by President Pranab Mukherjee on 11th July. Describing Chaudhuri as a "master creator'', the President called him an eminent scholar and a Gandhian in spirit, adding that he represented the fluid brilliance that characterised India's pluralistic literary genius. "It is indeed an example of his brilliant fluidity that an author, who strove to master Hindi academically, expressed himself in Gujarati in his literary pursuit,'' Mukherjee said. Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhuri is one of the most prolific writers on the contemporary Gujarati literary scene and has written or complied over 100 books in Gujarati and Hindi. He is also responsible for setting up a separate department for the study of journalism at Gujarat University. As a popular columnist, he has contributed to dailies and weeklies such as 'Sandesh', 'Janmabhoomi' and 'Divya Bhaskar'.
Jnanpith president Vijender Jain said Chaudhuri's work symbolised the "hetergenous character of Indian society''. The Bharatiya Jnanpith was founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and Rama Jain and has Times of India's chairperson Indu Jain as President Emeritus. Among those present on the occasion were Jnanpith life trustee Aparajita Jain Mahajan and managing trustee Sahu Akhilesh Jain. The award includes bronze replica of Vagdevi and an amount of Rs.11 Lakh.
JAIN SEERS BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY ON FOOT TO SHRAVANABELAGOLA
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8th July 2016: Several Jain seers have commenced their journey on foot in different parts of the country towards Shravanabelagola in Channarayapatna taluk to witness the Mahamastakabhisheka to be held in February 2018. The seers have begun their journey well in advance as they have to cover long distances on foot to reach Shravanabelagola. Among those who have already commenced their journey include 37 seers led by Acharya Vardhamana Sagara Maharaj. They started the march at Newai in Rajasthan on April 17 this year. Similarly, Munishree Prajna Sagar has also started his journey from Rajasthan. Three of his disciples are accompanying him. Acharya Pushpadanta Sagara Maharaj and Munishree Vajrasena Maharaj are among the others who are on the march to Shravanabelagola, the major pilgrimage centre for Jains.
As many as 274 seers had reached Shravanabelagola on foot to witness the anointment of the 57-ft Gomateshwara Statue atop the Vindhyagiri during the last Mahamastakabhisheka held in 2006. This time, the number may go up to 500. Many seers are expected to start their journey by the end of this year. On an average, seers cover 10 km a day. Besides the seers, thousands of devotees and tourists are expected to visit Shravanabelagola for the Mahamastakabhisheka. In 2006, the railways operated special trains from Indore, Kolkata and Mumbai. This time, the number of special trains is expected to go up as Bengaluru-Hassan railway track will be ready soon. According to Charukeerti Bhattaraka Swami,''This time, special trains may run from Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, cities in Rajasthan, Mumbai and a few other places.''
JAIN BOOK BANK READY FOR CHENNAI STUDENTS
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11th July 2016 Chennai: Sri Sumathi Vishal Jain Book Bank Project invites applications from deserving and needy students who have enrolled in engineering, arts and science courses in and around city colleges for the issue of books on loan basis. The application forms are available at Thirukumaran Apartments, 12, Rameshwaram Road, T. Nagar, between 4 PM and 6 PM on weekdays and 10 AM and 1 PM on Sundays. Since its inception in 1991, the project has donated more than one lakh books to over 10,000 students from over 50 engineering colleges in and around Chennai. For details, contact Kunhal Nahar, book bank project coordinator, Mobile No: 98840 96930.
KARNATAKA GRANTS HAMPI UNIVERSITY ONE CRORE TO SET UP JAIN STUDY CENTRE
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2nd July 2016: Karnataka State Government has granted Rs. 1 crore to Hampi University to set up a Jain Study Centre at Shravanabelagola in Channarayapatna taluk. A preliminary meeting to start work on the Centre was recently held in the Jain Mutt in Shravanabelagola. Speaking on the occasion, Charukeerti Bhattaraka Swami of Jain Mutt said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the provision of funds to set up a Jain Study Centre in Shravanabelagola. The government had provided Rs. 1 crore to Hampi University to set up the centre. Dr. Mallika Ghanti, the Vice Chancellor, said the Centre would hold seminars and workshops on Jain philosophy and literature. ''There is a need for a detailed study on Jain inscriptions. The Centre will help scholars and students in old Mysore area,'' she said. The University will bring a few valuable works on Jain literature and philosophy by the Mahamastakabhisheka to be held in February 2018. The Centre would have one director, four teaching staff and five research assistants, besides supporting non-teaching staff. In the first year, 40 students would be admitted, the VC said.