- After four days, 35 Mumukshu Sansarik Mohamaya Tyagi will leave the materialistic world and adopt monkhood on Monday, 22nd April
- “Diksha Mahotsav means following the path of Prabhu Veer, where there is no delusion of any kind,” says Param Pujya Acharyadevshri
- A book fair has been opened in Adhyatma Nagri, where books on the philosophy of Jainism will be distributed free of charge
GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
AHMEDABAD, APRIL 19
The five-day-long grand monkhood or Jain Diksha initiation ceremony to mark the celebration of 2,550 years of Nirvana of the last Tirthankar Paramatma Mahavir Swami of Jainism commenced at Adhyatma Nagari on Sabarmati Riverfront, near Tagore Hall here on Thursday.
15 Acharya Bhagwants, Sadhu Bhagwants and Sadhviji Bhagwants besides 35 Mumukshus and their families entered the grand Adhyatma Nagari for the first time in the centuries-old history of Ahmedabad city. They were accompanied by 400 Jain monks and nuns.
The grand procession of Mumukshus, seated on 12 Gajrajs, started from Char Road and reached the Adhyatma Nagari via Pritam Nagar Akhara.
After four days, 35 Mumukshu Sansarik Mohamaya Tyagi will leave the materialistic world and adopt monkhood on Monday, 22nd April.
On attaining Moksha, Param Pujya Acharyadevshri said, “Diksha Mahotsav means following the path of Prabhu Veer, where there is no delusion of any kind.”
Throwing light on Santharo, Maharaj Swami said, “When Mumukshu receives diksha, he is fit for performing penance. Even after the monkhood initiation, the initiate’s spirit is attached to the body. That samskara is called Santharo, in which the initiate performs austerities to heal the air. And in a short time, he will renounce the affections of the flesh and reach the Lord’s Lotus feet.”
Among the 35 Mumukshus, 11-year-old Hethkunwar Kamleshbhai Mujpura studying in Std 5 is the youngest while 56-year-old Sanjaybhai Manikchand Sadriya and Jashwantbhai Shanthilal Shah are the eldest. 11 of them are teenagers. They all come from rich business family living in joint family set ups. Five of these families will keep their homes locked.
Speaking with the media, Bhaveshbhai Bhandari, whose son and daughter had received Diksha in 2021 in Surat, said, “After my children had adopted monkhood, I felt something missing in life and home was looking empty. I have experienced both types of life and found the creed of progress in the life of worldly pursuit. But I found true happiness in spiritual life. Hence, my wife and myself have decided to give up the luxurious life and tread on the path of Prabhu Veer.”
The magnificent palace-like Jain Temple of about 10,000 square feet in Adhyatma Nagri houses a beautiful idol of the 23rd Tirthankara Sri SahasrafanaParshvanatha Bhagwan.
In Adhyatma Nagri, a grand assembly hall has been constructed in an area of around 90,000 square feet, in which around 25,000 devotees can sit and enjoy the initiation ceremony.
In Adhyatma Nagari, a dining hall has been designed in an area of around 3,00,000 square feet, in which 3,200 people can be seated in a row.
In Adhyatma Nagari, for the first time, Narka has been recreated vividly, with life-like scenes of how the Parmadhami Devas torture the creatures of hell will be seen.
A grand theater has been constructed in Adhyatma Nagri, in which the heroic sagas of Jain celebrities will be presented in the form of short plays.
A book fair has been opened in Adhyatma Nagri, where books on the philosophy of Jainism will be distributed free of charge.
