Vol. No. 04 November , 2000 Issue
Editors :P.L.Jain, Dr.Sulekh Jain, A. K. Jain	First News Magazine of Jainism on Internet Circulation 6500 Copies ( Jains Only )	www.jainsamaj.org

End of Chaturmas   
The chaturmas period of four months for the Jain sadhus and sadhwis will be coming to a close on the 11th November, 2000, the holy day of Kartik Poornima. This period has been devoted through out the country with great austerity (tapasya) by shrawaks and shrawikas and various religious programmes have been conducted. In particular where eminent saints and sadhwis were having their stay, religious celebrations have been held with great faith with a feeling of self-introspection, self-restraint, confession, austerity and forgiveness leading to purity of soul freedom from bondage. Places like Bombay, Surat, Jalgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Pali, Sadri had the unique privilege of having chaturmas of holy acharyas from different sects.

Deeksha - Initiation Ceremonies
Initiation ceremonies (Deeksha) of five ladies belonging to Revered Acharya Shri Hastimal Ji Maharaj’s sect of Sthanakwasi Jain samaj are going to be held on the 6th and 7th November, 2000. One of them Km. Ekta Daga will be initiated at Jaipur by Acharya Shri Hira chand Ji Maharaj and Mahasati Maina Sundari Ji on the 6th November. The other four candidates, Km. Uma Kanthed, Usha Kanthed, Pushpa Baghmar and Neelam Jain will be initiated at Jodhour on the 7th November by revered Shri Basant Muni, Gautam Muni, Mahasati Lad Kunwar Ji, Sayar Kunwar Ji and Shanti Kunwar Ji. Simple ceremonies will be held on these occasions with austerity and simplicity in line with the guide lines of Poojya Shri Hasti Mal Ji Maharaj.

Blood Donation Camp
Mr. Sanjay Jain, Chairman, Youth wing of the All India Swetambar Jain Conference has informed through their magazine that blood donation and eye donation (after death) will be held at various places in the country through out the ensuing year. Those wishing to donate their eyes and blood for the holy cause of service to humanity may contact Mr. Sanjay Jain at No. 12, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, New Delhi. (Tel. 3363729)

Sadhu Sammelan
It has been decided to arrange great congregation (Sadhu Sammelan) of the Sthanakwasi saints) in the coming year at Delhi.In a meeting of the Jain Conference held on the 24th September, a special committee has been constituted with Mr. J.D. Jain as its President to make all necessary arrangements for this purpose. Acharya Shri (Dr.) Shiv Muni will also be honoured and Chadar ceremony will be held to reconfirm our faith in him as Acharya of the Shraman sangha.

Birthday Celebrations - Acharya Atma Ram Ji
The birth day celebrations of Acharya Shri Atma Ram Ji Maharaj were held at various places in the country and different religious programmes in the form of prayers, meetings, seminars, discussions, speeches and discourses were held on the occasion.

Deepawali at Pawapuri
BIHARSHARIF : Jains from all over the country and abroad are reaching Pawapuri to participate  in a three-day "Nirvan Mahotsav" on the eve of Deepawali. The mahotsava is set to commence on Wednesday. According to a former minister Surendra Prasad Tarun, about 15,000 pilgrims are already in Pawapuri to participate in the mahotsava. The Bijarsharif DM has made necessary arrangements for the function. Both sects of Jains - Digamber and Swetamber  - participate with religious fervour in this annual function.
It is held to commemorate the nirvana (salvation) of the 24th and the last Trithankar of Jains, Bhagwan Mahavir, who attained "nirvana" on Deepawali day in the 6th century BC at Pawapuri, now a village in Nalanda district, some 12 km from Biharsharif. The place where Lord Mahavir attained nirvana has become a pilgrim spot for Jains.
The nirvana site was believed to be a ditch which later became a lake. In course of time, the Jain disciples constructed a marble temple in the centre of the lake. A  bridge like structure leads to the temple from the main road. Lord Mahavir's feet have been symbolically installed in the middle of the lotus tank, lied the Digamber Jain Mandir. A statue of Lord Mahavir is installed here and is worshipped especially by Digamber Jains.

NGOs without Accountability
NEW DELHI : In an order affecting thousands of non-government organisations (NGOs ) across the country, the Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the Union government not to release any more grants to them until they produce the certificate of utilisation of previous grants given to them. Upset over the fact that more than Rs. 7,500 crore released as grants to NGOs has not been accounted for so far, a division bench of chief justice Arijit Passayat and D. K. Jain issued a notice to the Centre, the finance ministry and the Comptroller & Auditor-General (CAG), asking them to file their replies by December 12. According to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate B. L. Wadhera in this regard, as on March 31st, 1999, as many as 30,517 utilisation certificates involving grants totalling Rs 7,535.49 crore have not been submitted by the NGOs and some government organisations. As many as 22,658 pending utilisation certificates, involving Rs. 2,701.79 crore, relate to the period 1976 to 1996. According to a list of defaults submitted before the court, at the top of are NGOs aided by the education ministry with Rs. 3,458 crore grants unaccounted for. It is followed by the department of women and child development (Rs. 1,590 crore ), culture (Rs 361 crore ), youth affairs and sports (Rs. 217 crore ) agriculture and cooperation (Rs. 117 crore).

Social Programs under the Guidance of Acharya Shri Heera Chandra ji
Jalgaon: During the Chaturmas period, unique ceremonies and functions were arranged this time at Jalgaon under the patronage of Acharya Shri Hira Chanda Ji Maharaj of the Sthanakwasi sect. Several austerity programmes (Tapasya) were held involving 12 ‘maskhaman’ and over 300 ‘Athai’ (eight day fasting), accepting ‘sheel vrata (celibacy) and other taking other vows of austerity for life. At the community level, several useful social norms leading to austere way of life were adopted.

Initiation to Sainthood at Jalgaon
Jalgaon:  During the Chaturmas period at Jalgaon, four persons, one gent and three ladies were given initiation to sainthood by the saint Acharya Shri Hira Chand ji Maharaj on the 7th October, 2000.
The names of these newly sworn saints and nuns are:
1. Shri Yogesh jain 25 years, from Choru.
2. Sushri Manju Jain, 21 years, from Sawai-Madhopur.
3. Sushri Sharmila Guglia, 20 years from Hyderabad.
4. Sushri Nitu Kumari Guglia, 18 years, from Hyderabad.
Several ceremonies were conducted prior to the day of initiation, including shobha yatra (public procession), Abhinandan samaroh (public reception) and Abhnishkraman and Udbodhan samaroh (renouncing and awakening ceremony) A large number of celebrities belonging to Jain community from all over the country and many distinguished guests were present to grace the occasion. On 13th October, main initiation programme (Badi diksha) was held and initiation was granted by Shri Hira Chand Ji Maharaj.

Ratanlal ji Bafna - President for All India Jain Ratna Hiteshi Shrawak Sangha
Jalgoan :Shri Ratan Lal Ji Bafna has been unanimously re-elected as President of the All India Jain Ratna Hiteshi Shrawak Sangha for the period 2000-2003 at the Joint meetings of Shrawak Sangha, Samyagyan Pracharak Mandal A.I. Jain Ratna Shrawika Mandal and A.I. Jain Ratna Yuvak Parishad on 4-6 October,2000.

Jain Community declared Minority in Rajasthan 
Rajasthan High court in a historical statement has declared Jain Community in the State of Rajasthan as a minority community and stated that educational institutions established and managed by Jain community will be covered by the Art 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution and are eligible to enjoy the rights given therein. Hon. Justice Shri Rajesh Balia, of the
Rajasthan High Court delivered this order in respect of the writ petition filed by Vijay Shanti Education Trust. (Adopted from Raj. Patrika, 16th September, 2000)

Pravachan on Television
New Delhi :Upadhyay Muni shri Manohar Muni has been appearing on the E.T.C. channel of Television delivering discourses on Jainism in the morning at 6.30 A.M. every day. This programme is being telecast in the whole Asia, including India and in Europe, covering over 78 countries.

Inaugration - Smt. Madan Bai Manik Chand Dhariwal Stadium
Udaipur : Inauguration Ceremony of Smt. Madan Bai Manik Chand Dhariwal Stadium was held at Kanod in Udaipur District. Shri Dhariwal gave generous donation for the stadium.

Sadhwi Hem Prabha ji Maharaj awarded Ph.D. by Jodhpur University
Jodhpur :Sadhwi Shri Hem Prabha Ji Maharaj, disciple of Mahasati Shri Umraon Kunwar Ji Maharaj was awarded degree of Ph.D. in Sanskrit by the Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur. The research work was carried out under the guide-ship of Dr. Dharam chand Jain, Assistant professor in the Department of sanskrit at the said University.

President Award to Raja Ram Jain
New Delhi :Dr. Raja Ram Jain, a renowned authority on Prakrit and aprabhanshi and hand-written rare and unpublished manuscripts has been awarded President’s Honour for the year 2000 and accorded generous reward of Rs. 50,000/- (to be paid every year for the whole life) for his great contribution to Jainism through research carried out on modern scientific lines.

Ahimsa Karyakarta Award to Shri Chanchal Mal Chordia 
Jalgoan: Shri Chanchal Mal Chordia of Jodhpur, has been awarded “Ahimsa Karyakarta award” by the Ratan Lal C. Foundation at a function held on 6th October, 2000 at Jalgaon for his untiring efforts in adopting and promoting nonviolent techniques of therapeutic medicine (which do not involve any sort of non-violence during preparation of medicines or medication), such as Accupressure, accupuncture, Magnetotherapy, Recky etc.

End of Chaturmas
The chaturmas period (four-monthly stay of Jain saints) ended on the 11th November,2000 with great religious fervor and endeavour. This period was spent this year all over the country with austerity, faith, devotion, amity and solitariness. Various saints and sadhwis from all the sects showed the direction towards devotion, self-introspection and practice of right faith, right knowledge and right character. For imparting basic knowledge about Jainism, religious programmes, including discourses, question-answer sessions, quiz sessions, competitions were arranged and religious camps on character-building , contemplation and meditation were organised in different parts of the country. The austerity (Tapasya)  programmes were carried out in particular throughout the four months period by saints, sadhwis and followers.

Heavenly Abode - Sadhwi Sri Suraj Kanwar ji
Jain sadhwi Sri Suraj Kunwar Ji Maharaj left for her heavenly abode on the 1st October, 2000 at the age of 85 years at Kota, the place of her diksha. She was a great devotee and was always engaged in self-renounciation, fasting and other types of tapasya. She belonged to erst-while Kota sampradaya, which later got merged into Shraman Sangh. She had obtained her initiation from Mahasati Shri Ratan Kunwar Ji Maharaj. On the day of demise, she took ‘sanlekhana santhara’ (eternal fasting) at 6 p.m. and breathed her last at 7.20 p.m. Various institutions across the country paid respectful homage to the great soul.

Mahavir Award 2000 to Dr. Kalyan Gangwal - Madras
Dr. Kalyan Gangwal, an eminent Physician from Madras and Patron of the ‘Sarva Jeev Mangal Pratishthan’ received the prestigious “Mahavir Award- 2000” from Chennai-based Bhagwan Mahavir Foundation for his excellent work on non-violence, vegetarianism and non-addiction.

New Education Trust  set up under the guidance of Acharya Shri Nityanand ji
An Education Trust was established at Sadri, Rajasthan on the inspiration of Acharya Shri Nityanand Suri Ji Maharaj during his regular discourses in the month of October with a collection of about Rs. 2 crores. The interest accrued from the fund would be utilised for the higher education and development of children and youth of the region.

Cassettes on Navkar Mantra
Jityesha Foundation, Calcutta has produced 20 video casettes on religion and society, based on fifty discourses given by learned and distinguished saints, Shri Lalit Prabh Sagar JI and Shri Chandra Prabh Sagar Ji Maharaj. The subjects covered in these cassettes include psychology of Navkar Mantra, Why go to temple?, How to control anger?, Preventing families from disintegration and mental development.

Each casette costs Rs. 150 and these can be obtained from: Jityesha Foundation, 9-C, Esplanade Road, Calcutta-700 069.