Dr Kumarpal Desai, Institute’s Indian Co-ordinator and Managing Trustee is a prolific author with several books and hundreds of articles being published by him. His recent article appeared in the Indian Financial Times a copy of which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Lok Kosh, a project to update Guajrati Lexicon on line dictionaries through people’s participation with new-age and contemporary words from other languages being used in Gujarati, was launched on Tuesday 27th October in Ahemadabad.
The Chandaria Foundation along with IT and linguistic experts developed the Gujarati Lexicon on line dictionary. At the inauguration, Ratilal Chandaria, founder of Gujarati Lexicon, Neeta Shah, Director, e-Governance, Gujarat Informatics Ltd, Mr Pradip Khandwalla, former Director, Indian Institute of Mangement, Ahemdabad were present.
Chandaria’s lifelong passion for working for and developing Gujarati language is still as strong at the age of 86 and this has inpired many professionals to dedicate their expertise to the language. However, he identifies himself as only a soldier who is serving his mother tounge, Gujarati.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>”It is necessary to make the language and the dictionary accessible to the younger generation and – use of modern technology is the best way to achieve it” said Chandaria.</p>
Shri Ratilal Chandaria at the Launch Ceremony
If you have suggestions or comments on this venture to keep the Gujarati lagnuage alive please do make a comment on this page.
The Institute of Jainology has been promoting the awareness of Jain philosophy worldwide launched the ‘Jainpaedia’ project in India at the Yogi Hall, Dadar, Mumbai on Sunday 25th October.
The project’s main objective is to create a contextualised database of the important Jain manuscripts currently in various collections in the UK. This database will be digitised and put on internet so that the manuscripts become accessible to lay people as well as the academics.
These ancient manuscripts form a rich heritage for the Jain philosophy but because most of them are written either in the ancient Indian language ‘Ardh Magdhi’ and the later ones mainly in Sanskrit with some in Gujarati or Hindi they are not understandable to almost all lay people. So far they have only been useful to researchers and academicians.
Special requirements for preserving these manuscripts intact means that direct access to them is severely restricted. By creating the database and putting it on line will mean that anyone can access this precious heritage and learn about the times when the manuscripts were created and about the manuscripts themselves.
The UK Government has made a grant of £365,000 with the Institute required to provide a matching amount to meet the total project cost of £730,000. Dr Mehool Sanghrajaka, Institute’s Director in London is also the Project Director. Professor Nalini Balbir is the Chief Editor whilst King’s College, University of London has been appointed as the main contractor.
Mr Paul Vetch a Senior member of the team developing the project at Kings College introduced the project and explained the various concepts involved in its development exhaustively. The database will comprise of illustrated collection of manuscripts. Each illustration will have several reference points which when clicked will provide a detailed description of the point referred to. In this manner each manuscript will have a detailed description of the author of the script, the scribe and the place where it was written and also include historical facts of the time relevant to the content of the script. The content will be translated in English, Hindi and Gujarati. The objective of this project is to prepare a pool of knowledge which would help the current and future generations of Jains and others to understand Jain philosophy in all its facets. The project would also help researchers and scholars from other religions of the world.
Smt. Nalini Madgaonkar compêred the whole program. Program started with introduction of Dr Kumarpal Desai, Institute’s Trustee in India and the Co-ordinator. He decribed the various activities undertaken by the institute at both national and international level over the last twenty years.
He emphasised the work being done by the Institute in preserving the rich treasure of manuscripts we have inherited. He talked about the publication of the catalogue of 1500 manuscripts in British Library collection in three volumes. He was proud of the fact that the Institute had ensured participation by all Jain sects from all over the world at every level in production of this catalogue.
The new lecture series titled ‘Jain Darshan Vyakhyanmala’ on Jain philosophy had its inaugural lecture delivered by Pujya Rakeshbhai Jhaveri. In his talk titled ‘Ahimsa Paramo Dharma’, he elaborated the finer aspects of the concept of ‘Ahimsa’ from Jain perspective its universal appeal in his own inimitable style.
Shri Ratibhai Chandaria, Chairman of the institute and Shri Nemubhai Chandaria, Deputy Chairman had welcomed the guests who included many dignitaries including Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal, Shri Rasikbhai Doshi, Shri Arvind Doshi, Shri Manubhai Shah and various other dignitaries.
On this occasion Shri Manubhai Shah, Chairman, Ruby Mills, who has completed his successful career as an industralist spanning over of a period of seventy-five years, was felicitated. Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal and Shri Arvindbhai Doshi were also felicitated. The program began with and concluded with devotional songs rendered by members of Dharampur Ashram.
PHOTO GALLERY
Jaina Education Committee following several requests from community members for recorded version of the Savantsari Pratikraman to enable them perform this most important annual ritual on their own at home have uploaded the two and half hour recording on 6 MP3 tracks on Jain eLibrary web site.
Please take the following steps to access and download these files:
1. Go to www.jaineLibrary.org website.
2. Register yourself on the web site.
3. After the completion of registration – log in with your registered
e-mail address and your password.
4. On Home Page – click the link “Jain Audio/Stavan/Vidhi/Sutra”
5. On the link result page click “Pratikraman” link
6. On the result page – go to the last column (Book Download column)
and click mp3 symbol and use save the file option.
(Do not Open the file on the Website. It will not work because the file size is too large)
7. After downloading all six files on your local computer – play one file at a time for Samvatsari Pratikraman Ritual.
This new website contains all Jaina Education Committee Pathsala Books (pdf files) and more than 2000 books of reference Jain literature.
If you need any assistance in downloading please send email to :
education@jaina.org
Jaina Education Committee must be congratulated on the excellent service being provided to the Jain community utlising the modern technology.
After you have visited the site and perhaps downloaded the Pratikram tracks or looked at the reference books and have any comments, please feel free to make them on this page.
14Oct09
Beautiful Stamps On Jain Temples
India Post on 14th October 2009, released two beautiful stamps on world famous Jain Temples of RANAKPUR and DILWARA . These both multicoloured stamps depict images of the temples with inset of detailed images of unique and intricate carvings typical of these temples.
Miniature Sheet, First Day Cover and Information brochure of these Stamps have also been issued. Both the stamps are of the denomination of Rs. 5/- each. The First Day Cover and the Brochure are priced at Rs 2 each. These are available for sale at the Philatelic Bureaus of all the G.P.O. as well as big Post Offices of India.
Ranakpur Temple
Dilwara Temples
Imposing Entrance to Ranakpur Temple
Grand Chamber of Dilwara Temple
Ranakpur Jain Temple
Ranakpur is a village located in Desuri Tehsil near Sadri town in the Pali District of Rajasthan in western India. It is located between Jodhpur and Udaipur, in a valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range. The Ranakpur Jain Temples command huge respect from the Jain community worldwide. Built during the rule of Rana Kumbha, these temples have included Ranakpur in the list of five main pilgrim destinations of Jains in India. History has it that Rana Kumbha donated a vast stretch of land to Dhanna Shah so as to enable him to realise his dream of building a great temple. Today, these temples attract thousands of visitors every year from across the country and abroad.
Temples of Ranakpur present a distinct style of their own. The ceilings of the temples are adorned with foliate scrollwork and geometric patterns. The top and bottom part of the domes are joined by brackets with figures of deities on them.
The most important amongst all the temples within the complex is the Chaumukha Temple. Dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath, it is a four faced temple which has a basement of 48000 sq feet. The temple boasts of four subsidiary shrines, 24 pillared halls and 80 domes standing on the support of nearly 400 columns (the total number of columns in the temple complex, however, is much larger, around 1444). Each of the columns is richly carved and interestingly no two columns present the same design. Moreover, the columns change colour from golden to pale blue with the passage of every hour during the day. So much for the artistic brilliance of the workmen! The temple is shaped like a Nalinigulm Vimana or heavenly aircraft that the Dhanna Shah had seen in his dreams. The construction of the temple is extremely complex with four separate entrances leading to chambers inside. The chambers finally lead to the main hall which houses the image of Adinath encircled by several smaller shrines and domes. Another range of cells with individual roofs surround these shrines and domes yet again. Perhaps, the complexity of the structure was the reason why the temple took around 65 years to complete.
Dilwara Jain Temple
Dilwara Jain temples are known world over for their extraordinary architecture and marvellous marble stone carvings, some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. Though it seems fairly basic temple from outside, the temple interior showcases the extraordinary work of human craftsmanship at its best. These temples were built between 11th to 13th century AD amidst the beautiful lush green hills of Mt Abu. The ornamental details of marble stone carvings are very intricate and unmatched, The minutely carved ceilings and the pillars are just amazing. All this was done at a time when no transport or roads were available at a height of 1200+ Mtrs in Mount Abu, Huge blocks of marble stones were transported on elephant backs from the Arasoori Hills at Ambaji to this remote hilly region of Mount Abu. Dilwara temples is also a popular Jain pilgrimage attraction.
Of the five shrines in this group, four are architecturally significant. They are built with white marble stones. Each has a walled courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard is the shrine with the image of the deity, Rishabhdev. Around the large courtyard, there are numerous small shrines, each housing a beautiful image of the Tirthankaras with a series of elegantly carved pillars from the entrance to the courtyard. The ministers of the Solanki rulers of Gujarat had constructed all these temples during 11th and 13th centuries A.D.
Vimal Vasahi is the oldest temple, which has been dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara. Vimal Shah, minister of the then Solanki ruler of Gujarat, built it in the year 1031 A.D. The special feature of this temple is it’s ceiling which is circular in eleven richly carved concentric rings. The central ceiling of the temple is adorned with magnificent carving and it culminates into an ornamented central pendant. The pendant of the dome tapers down forming a drop or point, like a lotus flower. This is an astonishing piece of work. It symbolizes the divine grace coming down to fulfill human aspirations. Figures of 16 Vidya Devis (goddesses of knowledge) are carved on the ceiling.
The other Dilwara temples are the Luna Vasahi, Vastupala and Tejapala, named after the ministers of the then Vaghela ruler of Gujarat who built them in 1230 A.D. Inspite of being plain and austere on the outside, the interiors of all these temples are covered with delicate carvings. Its most notable feature is that the brilliant intricacy and delicacy of the marble carving is so fine that in places the marble becomes almost transparent.
Dilwara temples are one of the best examples of craftsmanship, the genius of carving out so brilliant and intricate a shape out of a block of stone, such that it almost comes to life! The temple is a tourist’s paradise and a meditative sanctum for the devotees.
14Oct09
Ahimsa Day 2009
The seventh Ahimsa Day celebrations once again proved to be as successful as the previous ones. Portcullis House, the House of Commons annexe once again reverberated with the Namokar Mantras and Jai Jinendra - the latter greeting has now become a familiar greeting for many of the Members of the Parliament.
The evening started with light refreshments and an opportunity for the guests to mingle. Several MPs came for the refreshments but some had to leave early because of imminent voting in the House.
The formal part of the program was started at 7.00pm by the compére for the evening, Ms Chetna Kapacee. Pujya Samniji’s from Jain Vishwa Bharti’s London Centre chanted the auspicious Namokar Mantra to commence the proceedings for the evening.
Nemu Chandaria OBE, Institute’s Deputy Chairman welcomed the guests on Institute’s behalf. He then went on to outline the Institute’s activities and achievements since inception.
Mr Stephen Pound, MP our host for the evening then welcomed the guests and expressed his admiration of Jain philosphy. Once again he wished that the House of Commons would tune itself to the Jain philosophy and imbibe the concepts of Ahimsa – making this a better world for all of us.
He was followed by Mr Barry Gardiner MP, current Chair of Parliamentary Labour Friends of India, Ms Dawn Butler MP, a government Whip and Mr Navin Shah, Member of Greater London Assembly. They all expressed their feelings of being previleged to be invited to an event to celebrate such a noble cause as Ahimsa.
Professor Heppell our keynote speaker of the evening was introduced with a list of achievements. He was described as Europe’s leading online education expert, with a vast portfolio of successful, large scale, learning projects behind him. He has also held professorship with several of the UK Universities.
Professor Stephen Heppell made an insightful presentation about innovative ways of learning which have often transformed communities in developing communities or other learning groups. He spoke of this perhaps being the era of the death of education but the dawn of learning.
In particular, Professor Heppell spoke convincingly about an increasingly visual generation who might choose YouTube over Google when using the internet for information and educational purposes. He spoke about the success of smaller scale learning units which create a locally relevant curriculum. His presentation was insightful and the clips that he used were both entertaining and informative. The presentation certainly provided the audience with a new way of thinking about learning, education and the use of technology in the dissemination of information and knowledge.
Jaysukh Mehta then declared Professor Padmanabh Jaini as recepient of the IoJ Ahimsa Award 2009. His citation read:
”
Professor Jaini has made an outstanding contribution to the world of academia through his publications on the philosophy and practice of Jainism and its concepts including Ahimsa. He has brought to the attention of the wider academic and theological community the richness and depth of Jainism through his rigorous study, research and publication of Jain philosophy.
Padmanabh Jaini is currently Professor emeritus of Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. In his schooling days, he had received firm grounding in Digambar traditions. He also had the opportunity to meet many of the great Digambar scholars.
Whilst studying for his first degree, he had the opportunity to visit several Svetamber institutions and for the first time he became aware of the diversity that existed within Jainism and, that there were other Jain sectarian groups.
His familiarity with Svetambar Jainism gave him the opportunity to study under the great Jain scholar, Pundit Sukhlalji Sanghvi.
Pundit Sukhlalji encouraged him to study the Pali Cannon to improve his understanding of Jain scriptures.
He did research in Sri Lanka and at Banaras Hindu University in Buddhism.
In 1956 Professor Jaini was invited to join School of Oriental & African Studies, London as a lecturer where he later gained his doctorate.
In 1967, he moved to the University of Michigan as Professor of Indic Studies. And finally in 1972, he came to Berkeley, California where he served until his retirement in 1994 as Professor of Buddhist Studies.
In the field of Jain Studies, his best known publications are Jain Path of Purification, Gender & Salvation and Jain Sectarian Debates.
Some of his major articles have been published under titles:
Collected Papers on Jain Studies (2000) Prof Jaini was honoured in 2003 by a Fest schrift for his contributions to Jainism and early Buddhism.
Collected Papers on Buddhist Studies (2001).
He is one of the rare Jain scholars with a firm grounding in both the Digambar and Svetambar traditions and is a towering figure within Jain academia.
Through his publications, Professor Jaini has indeed given Jainism and its concepts of Ahimsa and Compassion, a high international profile in the study of world religions.
The Board of Directors of the Institute of Jainology are proud and feel honoured that Professor Padmanabh Jaini has agreed to accept the Ahimsa Award for 2009.
”
Nemu Chandaria OBE, then presented the Ahimsa Trophy to Professor Padmanabh Jaini who was then requested to address the audience.
Professor Jaini began his address with utmost humility, with hopes to live up to the standards of previous winners of the Ahimsa Award, who have included the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Acharya Mahapragyaji.
He started his address about Jainism and the alleviation of poverty by quoting from the Dasavaikalika Sutra “Knowledge first and then compassion.” He then quoted Dr. Samuel Johnson who had said “A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization”. He explained that poverty is a form of himsa, violence, because it is not voluntary and therefore it is our duty to remove this himsa. Very interestingly, he explained that poverty can be good when it is voluntary poverty as it induces spiritual insight, as is evidenced by the materially renounced state of saints, monks and nuns. However, whilst voluntary poverty is regarded as a virtue and blessing, involuntary poverty is considered a curse.
Professor Jaini then moved from discussing material poverty to discussing spiritual poverty, which is all too often forgotten. It is a type of poverty from which we all suffer, indeed the materially rich acutely suffer from spiritual poverty. This poverty is partly due to a sense of dissatisfaction with what we have and constant desire to possess and acquire more. In this sense, Professor Jaini said that one interpretation of Ahimsa can be putting internal concerns above our external, material concerns. He spoke of the damaging affects of murchha parigraha, meaning deluded possession, which is a form of himsa. According to scriptures, one of the reasons for a rebirth in hell is due to excessive possession whereas contentment can lead to rebirth as a human. Professor Jaini then moved on to discuss in particular the damaging effects of waste, which is also the result of possession. He spoke about how, with increasing technology, our means of himsa have also increased and so must be carefully scrutinised.
In concluding his presentation on the alleviation of poverty, Professor Jaini explained the very important role that peace plays in achieving this aim. He spoke extensively about the specific and powerful role of forgiveness in generating peace. One must forgive and persuade others to forgive; be pacified and make it possible for others to be pacified. One who is pacified then leads a spiritual life and can make progress. One who is not pacified cannot attain peace and therefore cannot make progress. Ultimately, peace is at the centre of spiritual life and Ahimsa is the means to this peace.
He concluded his address by quoting verse 286 from Kalpa Sutra:
One should forgive (khamiyabbam), And ask others for forgiveness (khamāyiyabbam),
One should pacify oneself (uvasamiyabbam), And help others pacified (uvasamāyiyabbam),
For him who is pacified, there is success (in control) (jo uvasamai, tassa atthi ārahānā),
For him who is not pacified, there will be no success (jo na uvasamai, tassa natthi ārahānā),
‘Why has this been said, Sir?’ (tam ken’tthennam, bhante?)
‘Peace is the essence of monsticism.’ (uvasamasāram khu sāmannam).
Dr Mehool Sanghrajka then gave a brief update on the Jainpedia project. He promised an exhibition of the work being done currently with King’s College’s world renonwed CCH Department early in the new year.
Miss Rajul Dilip Shah then called out the vote of thanks to everyone who had help to make this event successful.
The photographs in the gallery below tell the story of the evening.
Photo Gallery
11Oct09
Cataloging of Jain Manuscripts
The richness of the Jain literature has been captured in thousands of manuscripts, some over a thousand years old, that are scattered in museums, libraries, temples and private collections throughout the world.
IoJ has been involved in a number of projects to catalogue Jain manuscripts in various libraries across Europe. Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts, the main Indian Institute for the preservation and promotion of items of cultural heritage, is also participating in these projects.
___________________________________________________________
Jain Manuscripts in the British Library
The project to create the catalogue was undertaken by the Institute at the instigation of British Library in 1991. Professor Chandrabhal Tripathi, of Berlin University was chosen to lead the project. Unfortunately Professor Tripathi passed away within two years of starting the project. Professor Nalini Balbir of Sorbonne University, Paris who had been assisting Professor Tripathi agreed to undertake the massive task. She was ably assisted by Dr Kanubhai Sheth and Dr Kalpnaben Sheth both from Ahemdabad, India
In 2002, the Institute made a presentation of the project to the then Prime Minister of India, Shree Atal Behari Vajpayee who not only agreed to become the Patron-in-Chief of the Project but also granted a sum of Rs two crore to the project.
On 27th May 2006, the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh launched the three volume catalogue at the prestigious Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi The launch ceremony was attended by of His Excellency the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to India, Sir Michael Arthur, and the Union Minister for Tourism & Culture Smt. Ambika Soni who presided over the function. Jain dignitaries from all over India representing all Jain sects were in attendance together with some Jains from abroad. H E The High Commissioner for Uganda was also present. Institute’s Trustees from London and India had managed the event.
The catalogue was printed and bound in India to the highest standard to ensure that it stood out amongst the best in its category. TheIndian Union Minister for Tourism & Culture is so taken by the quality that she keeps a set to hand to demonstrate the quality of work she expects from the Indian institutes working on other manuscript catalogues.
International launch of this catalogue took place on 15th May 2007 at Buckingham Palace, London. The launching ceremony was performed by H R H The Duke of Edinburgh in the Picture Gallery of the Palace.
The event was graced by H E the High Commissioner of India, Mr Kamalesh Sharma, the Chief Editor of the Catalogue, Prof. Nalini Balbir and Mr Ronald Milne, Director of Scholarship and Collections, The British Library and local and overseas representatives of the Jain community including delegates from India, Singapore, Oman, USA, Canada, Kenya, UAE as well as many Jain organisations in the United Kingdom and representatives of the Interfaith community.
This catalog is available for purchase from the British Library.
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Jain Manuscripts in Other Libraries
Preparatory work on cataloging of Jain Manuscripts at both the Wellcome Trust and the Oxford University’s Bodelian Library has been completed and Prof Nalini Balbir is carrying out the final editing. These catalogues are expected to be launched in Spring of 2009.
In recognition of the importance of these projects in conserving the Indian Cultural Heritage, in promoting research at institutions of higher learning, and in making manuscripts more easily accessible to the general public, the then Indian Prime Minister, Hon Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had accepted the Patronship of the projects at Wellcome Trust Library and the OU Bodelian Library.
Discussions are in progress with institutions in other countries to carry out similar cataloging projects. In conjunction with IoJ, the University of Florence is currently making plans for cataloging their Jain manuscripts, commencing early 2009.
PHOTO GALLERY
MSS LAUNCH AT VIGYAN BHAVAN NEW DELHI
Entrance to the prestigious Vigyan Bhavan
H E The British High Commissioner with Nemu Chandaria, Deputy Chairman
Federal Minister of Culture Mrs Ambika Soni greeting Dr Kumarpal Desai
Prime Minister Rt Hon Dr Manmohan Singh being welcomed by Nemu Chandaria
The Prime Minister greeting some of the guests
The Prime Minister overseeing the luanch ceremony
The Prime Minister Launches the Catalog
MSS LAUNCH AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE LONDON MAY 2007
Invited Guests at the Launch Ceremony in the Palace
Arshna Sanghrajka Conducting the Launch Proceedings
H R H Prince Philip Launches the Catalog
Jain Events During Inter Faith Week
15-21st November 2009
England will be having it’s first ever Inter Faith Week from 15th-21st November. It is being facilitated by the Inter Faith Network for the UK and the Department for Communities and Local Government with faith communities hosting various events to help promote understanding and friendship between people of different faith and belief backgrounds.
The Jain community of UK is delighted to be actively involved during Inter Faith Week and is hosting several events. It is a fantastic opportunity to share the richness of Jain philosophy with the wider public and openly welcome them to our beautiful places of worship. Confirmed events are below and more will be added soon, so please keep checking this site.
Please invite your friends, family, colleagues and the general public to come and learn more about Jainism and our ancient tradition.
Inter Faith Week: www.interfaithweek.org
Find out what’s happening in your local area: www.erffn.org.uk/
Jain Co-ordinator for Inter Faith Week and Trustee of the Inter Faith Network:
Jyoti Mehta : jyoti_is@yahoo.co.uk
Three Participating Jain Centres in London
Event 1
OSHWAL CENTRE
Potters Bar
Organised by Oshwal Association of the UK
Open Day on Sunday 15th November 2009
Address:
Oshwal Centre, Coopers Lane Road,
Northaw, Hertfordshire, EN6 4DG
Tel: 01707 643 838 Fax: 01707 644562 Email: admin@oshwal.org
Contact Person:
Kishor Bhimji Shah : KShah12179@aol.com Website: www.oshwal.org
Photos by: Bhavik Haria
Guided Tours and Presentations will be available at following times :
10.30 am – 11.30 am, 12.30 pm – 2.00 pm, 2.30pm – 4.30 pm
Light refreshments will be provided at the end of each session.
Visits at other times: Groups are welcome to visit the Jain Temple at Oshwal Centre from 10.00AM to 4.00PM throughout the year. Groups are requested to contact the Administrators at Oshwal Centre either by phone – 01707 643838 or email: admin@oshwal.org to pre-book the visit.
Event 2
IN TUNE WITH GOD
Evening of Inspirational & Devotional Singing
Organisers
Young Jains UK and Bhakti Mandal
Date: Friday 20th November 2009
Time: 7.30pm – 10.00pm
Venue: Zartoshty Brothers Hall,
Zoroastrian Centre,
440 Alexandra Ave,
Harrow, HA2 9TL (opposite Rayners Lane tube station).
This event, “In Tune with God” will be an evening session of inspirational and devotional music from a diverse number of different faiths. Invited members from the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Zoroastrian faithswill also present hymns/songs. Each faith will do a 15 minute presentation which will be accompanied by live music. The event is intended to promote harmony and understanding between communities of different faiths, through the powerful recital of devotional songs and music.
Refreshments will be served at the end of the event
For catering purposes, please let us know if you are attending by emailing: Prafula Shah – ppraffyshah@gmail.com or Roshni Gudhka – roshni@youngjains.org.uk.
This event has been supported by the Zartoshty Brothers Hall, Zoroastrian Centre.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Event 3
OSHWAL CENTRE
Croydon
Organised by
Oshwal Association of the UK
Photo courtesy of SCVP South London
Open Day on Saturday 21st November 2009
Address:
South London Mahajan Wadi
1 Campbell Road, Off London Road
Croydon Surrey CR0 2SQ
admin@oshwal.org
Contact Person:
Pushpaben Bhimji Shah : pushpashah12@hotmail.co.uk
Website: www.oshwal.org
Guided Tour / Presentation Times:
10.00am – 11.00am 11.30am - 12.30pm 1.30pm – 2.30pm 3.00pm – 4.00pm Light refreshments will be provided at the end of each session.
Jain Network UK is organising a seminar titled “Jain Contribution in the Interfaith Understanding” on 7th November 2009 at the Sayer Centre. All are cordially invited but it is necessary to pre register to be able to attend the seminar. Pre register with Dr Natubhai Shah at natubhaishah@aol.co.uk.
Provisional program details are :
INTERFAITH WEEK
(15th November – 21st November 2009)
PROGRAMME IN PREPARATION FOR THE WEEK
Theme: Jain contribution in the Interfaith Understanding
Venue: Sayer Centre, Oxgate Lane, Cricklewood, London NW2 7JN
Date: Saturday 7th November 2009
Registration & Lunch: 12.30 pm to 1.45 pm
FIRST ASSEMBLY: 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm
2-00 pm Prayers: Samani Prasanna Pragya and Samani Rohit Pragya
2-05 pm Welcome address: Dr Natubhai Shah
2-10 pm Session 1: Pluralism (Anekaantvaad) Facilitator: Mr Ramesh Pattni
1. Jain Perspective: Dr Natubhai Shah
2. Christian Perspective: Rev. Peter Colwell
3. Hindu Perspective: Mr Jay Lakhani
2-40 pm Q & A and Discussion
2-55 pm Session 2: Social Responsibility and Philanthropy: Facilitator: Mr Jay Lakhani
1. Jain Perspective: Dr Vinod Kapashi
2. Zoroastrian Perspective: Ms Sarosh Jehangir
3. Sikh Perspective: Dr Bhai Sahib Mohindersingh
4. Hindu Perspective: Ms Bharti Tailor
5. Muslim Perspective: Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid
6. National Perspective: Dr Doreen Finneron
3-45 pm Q & A and Discussion
4-00 to 4-25 pm Tea Break
SECOND ASSEMBLY: 4-30pm to 6-30pm
4-30 pm Session 3: Ecological concerns: Facilitator: Yaan Lovelock
1. Jain Perspective: Dr S.L. Gandhi
2. Buddhist Perspective: Ms Jan McHarry
3. Baha’i Perspective: Mr Aigumgarum Saminaden
5-05 pm Q & A and Discussion
5-10 pm Session 4: Panel Discussion: Facilitator: Dr Harriet Crabtree
Panelists: All the above speakers and Facilitators
6-00 pm Meditation: led by Samani Prasanna Pragya and Samani Rohit Pragya
6-15pm Conclusion and Vote of Thanks
12Sep09
Jainpedia is recruiting
The Stg Pds 800K project, Jainpedia project is progressing as scheduled and first public exhibition of the work done so far will take place during 2010 at V & A Museum. The contractors for the project were appointed last year who have been doing the ground work. The Institute appointed two personnel of its own to support the contractors work. Now the Institute has to start managing the main part of the project and needs to recruit senior personnel to manage this work. Currently two posts need to be be filled, these are detailed below and applications from suitable candidates are invited:
1. Project Manager
The Institute of Jainolgy is looking for a full time project manager for supporting its £800K investment in the development of JAINpedia a unique on line resource for Jainism using contextualised Jain scriptures - see http://blog.jainpedia.org/?p=3#more-3
The role includes managing relationships with leading organisations including Kings College London, V&A Museum, British Library and Universities in Europe and India. Activities will include implementing outreach and educational services, volunteer support and liaison, and technical liaison as part of the JAINPedia rollout.
The role would suit a highly adaptable self starter who is excellent at managing relationships and a strong sense of quality in delivery Experience of community/voluntary work and a South Asian language would be of advantage.
Salary would be in line with experience and the post would be based in Borehamwood. Travel in the UK would be required, and own car is essential.
In the first instance, email ioj_usha@hotmail.com with a CV and a covering letter.
2. Expert Jainologist
The Institute of Jainolgy is looking for a consultant expert Jainologist for supporting its £800K investment in the development of JAINpedia a unique on line resource for Jainism using contextualised Jain scriptures - see http://blog.jainpedia.org/?p=3#more-3
The role includes managing relationships with leading organisations including Kings College London, V&A Museum, British Library and Universities in Europe and India.
Activities will include advising on all aspects of the project. The role will require the following skills and qualifications;
· with academic qualifications internationally recognized through publications
· with knowledge of Indian languages (Prakrit, Sanskrit and some modern languages)
· with knowledge of the UK manuscript collections
· with skills in manuscriptology and recognized experience with manuscripts
In the first instance, email ioj_usha@hotmail.com with a CV and a covering letter.
