Service, education and cooperation were at the heart of the Institute of Jainology’s annual gathering at Portcullis House on 19 October.
Dr Abhay N. Firodia received the Ahimsa Award 2026 at Portcullis House, Westminster, in recognition of his lifelong philanthropy, his promotion of Jain values and his creation of Abhay Prabhavana, an institution near Pune dedicated to making Jain philosophy accessible to a wide public.
Presented by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad and Matt Turmaine MP, Chair of the Jain All-Party Parliamentary Group, the award was the centrepiece of an evening that brought parliamentarians, spiritual leaders, scholars and community representatives together through the Institute of Jainology (IOJ).
Across the contributions ran a practical concern: how the principle of ahimsa can shape the way people learn, serve others and work together.
The gathering opened with the Navkar Mantra, recited by Sadhvi Shri Shilapiji Maharaj of Veerayatan. Dr Mehool Sanghrajka welcomed guests, alongside contributions from Bob Blackman MP, Lord Krish Raval, Matt Turmaine MP and Baroness Shama of Wembley.
Recognising a lifetime of service
Introducing the award, Dr Sanghrajka traced Dr Firodia’s commitment to service through his family’s association with India’s independence movement and his own work in industry, philanthropy and education.
The citation recognised his leadership of Force Motors and his support for healthcare, education and social welfare. Particular attention was given to Abhay Prabhavana, which reflects a decade of personal dedication to sharing Jain thought with visitors of different ages, backgrounds and beliefs.
Through architecture, art, technology and interpretation, its exhibitions invite visitors to consider how Jain principles apply to human experience and daily choices.
Shantilal Muttha, recipient of the Ahimsa Award in 2018, paid tribute to his friend and colleague’s sustained commitment to the project and to the wider service of humanity.
Accepting the award, Dr Firodia spoke warmly of the influence of his father and of Acharya Chandanaji. He recalled her insistence that Jains should be among people, responding to their needs through practical service. Her example helped shape his own understanding of how religious values should find expression in society.
He described Abhay Prabhavana as a storehouse of ideas, with 35 galleries presenting Jain principles in language accessible to everyone, from young visitors to experienced scholars. Its purpose, he explained, was to help people understand and use those ideas in their own lives.
Practising compassion
Dr Firodia’s response explored ahimsa through cooperation, forgiveness and the conditions that enable people to live peacefully together. He spoke of the relationship between ahimsa, aparigraha—non-attachment—and anekantavada, the recognition of different perspectives.
His emphasis was on the opportunities these principles create: cultivating affection, overcoming resentment and contributing to an orderly, cooperative society.
The evening’s special guest, Daaji, also known as Kamlesh Patel, Global Guide of the Heartfulness movement, explored how meditation can help translate spiritual understanding into compassionate action.
Reflecting on the resonance of Jain principles across spiritual traditions, he encouraged those present to bring the teachings of the 24 Tirthankaras into their daily lives. For Daaji, ahimsa calls for compassion rooted in the heart, with kindness and service arising from love. He invited the gathering to set a higher aspiration for helping others, including a willingness to give something of themselves.
Turning to the meditative posture of the Tirthankaras, he asked listeners to consider what their stillness communicates. Meditation, he suggested, offers a practical means of deepening awareness and understanding oneself—nurturing the patience and sensitivity that enrich relationships.
He acknowledged that looking honestly within takes courage. His invitation was nevertheless hopeful: each person has the capacity to begin. Even when world events feel beyond individual influence, people can contribute to peace through the care they bring to their families, friendships and communities.
Together, the addresses connected ahimsa with familiar opportunities: listening openly during disagreement, making time for reflection, extending forgiveness and offering help. Through such choices, compassion becomes a shared experience that strengthens trust and cooperation.
Making Jain learning accessible
The evening also highlighted the patient work behind preserving Jain heritage and opening it to new generations of readers, students and researchers.
Adrian Plau, Manuscript Collections Information Analyst at Wellcome Collection, traced the journey undertaken by IOJ, Wellcome Collection and the University of Birmingham between 2002 and 2026 towards the restitution of the Jain manuscripts held in the collection. His account showed how a sustained relationship between community representatives, collection specialists and scholars had helped bring the project to its next stage.
He offered glimpses into the breadth of knowledge preserved in the manuscripts. Examples included a medical treatise dating from 1688, a work on politics and stories from the Kalpa Sutra. These illustrated the collection’s relevance both to religious scholarship and to a wider understanding of intellectual and cultural life.
Adrian reported that the first tranche of manuscripts was expected to reach the University of Birmingham in April 2027. This would mark a significant step in a project connecting the care of historic texts with opportunities for future study. For the Jain community, his update provided a tangible indication of progress after many years of engagement.
Dr Marie-Hélène Gorisse, Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham, then presented the growing activities of the Bhagavan Dharmanath Programme in Jain Studies. Now in its third year, the programme was expanding its teaching, research and international collaborations. She thanked the Jain community for the continued support that makes this work possible.
Among the year’s highlights was a conference held in September 2025 in honour of the late Professor Paul Dundas, bringing together 50 international scholars. A symposium on anekantavada—the Jain principle of non-one-sidedness—and collaborative workshops translating classical Jain philosophical texts created further opportunities for scholars to examine and discuss Jain thought.
The programme was also exploring Jain contemplative practices and meditation, connecting philosophical enquiry with questions about lived spiritual experience. Its research activity included 11 scholarly publications and a two-part podcast on Jain philosophy, extending the conversation to listeners beyond the university.
Teaching remained an important part of this growth. Undergraduate courses were reaching around 150 students during the year, alongside support for Master’s research and scholarships. These opportunities allow students to encounter Jain traditions in depth and help develop the next generation of researchers.
Dr Gorisse also described the cataloguing of Professor Dundas’s extensive scholarly library, work that will help make this valuable resource available for future scholarship. Continuing collaboration with IOJ included contributions to the new edition of JAINpedia and work supporting the preservation of Jain manuscript heritage.
Together, the two presentations showed how community support and institutional partnerships can turn a commitment to Jain learning into practical results: manuscripts prepared for a new chapter of stewardship, texts translated, students taught and research shared. Alongside Abhay Prabhavana’s public galleries, these initiatives are creating more ways for people to encounter Jain ideas and explore their relevance for themselves.
Building cooperation across faiths
The presence of a senior Catholic delegation gave further expression to the evening’s theme of cooperation.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, was joined by Archbishop Bernard Longley, Bishop Paul Hendricks and Bishop Patrick McKinney.
Thanking Dr Firodia for the insights shared in his address, Cardinal Koovakad reflected on four decades of growing friendship between the Jain and Catholic communities. He recalled the historic 1986 gathering for peace at Assisi, convened by Pope John Paul II, and subsequent encounters that had deepened understanding between the two traditions.
He remembered with gratitude the late Nemubhai Chandaria and Dr Harshad Sanghrajka, whose commitment helped give the relationship between IOJ and the Vatican a lasting foundation. Through visits, discussions and the exchange of festival greetings, individual encounters had developed into an institutional relationship built on respect, trust and cooperation.
At its heart, he explained, were the Jain principles of ahimsa and anekantavada. He recognised the depth of the Jain commitment to avoiding harm in thought, word and deed, drawing connections with the teachings of Jesus Christ on loving one’s enemies and responding to evil with good. Active non-violence, he observed, requires courage and a commitment to justice, reconciliation and peace.
The Cardinal also reflected on St Francis of Assisi’s example of simplicity, fraternity and care for creation. He found meaningful resonance with Jain teachings on the interdependence of life, self-restraint and the responsible use of the world’s resources. These shared concerns offered practical ground for reflection and joint action.
His address presented dialogue as a continuing service to humanity: a way for communities to deepen mutual understanding and work for the common good while remaining faithful to their own traditions. He concluded with an invitation to disarm our hearts and walk together in the spirit of ahimsa.
The gathering also welcomed representatives of JAINA, including President Atul Shah and Jayesh Shah, connecting the occasion with the wider international Jain community.
Samani Punya Pragyaji concluded the evening with the Chattari Mangalam prayer.
The award recognised an exceptional personal contribution, while the wider gathering demonstrated what shared commitment can achieve. By bringing people and institutions together, IOJ continues to create opportunities for Jain values to inform education, service and public life. Ahimsa Day 2026 offered an invitation to build on that work—through the care people extend, the knowledge they share and the relationships they strengthen.
