5,000 Attend Jain Convention in New Jersey

July 8, 2007

Author: Parveen Chopra

Source: India eNews

http://www.indiaenews.com/america/20070708/59683.htm

Over 5,000 people attended the 14th biennial convention of JAINA - Federation of Jain Associations in North America - that was held in New Jersey.

The theme of the three-day convention that began Friday in Edison city was 'Peace through Dialogue'.

On the first day, the convention was addressed by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, popular yoga guru Swami Ramdev, Gurudev Chitrabhanu, considered the first Jain religious leader to come to the West and who inspired the formation of JAINA in the early 1980s, L.M. Singhvi, eminent jurist and former Indian High Commissioner to Britain, and Frank Pallone, Congressman from New Jersey.

Chitrabhanu narrated the history of JAINA and its success in uniting various Jain sects in the U.S. Elaborating on the convention theme, he said peace through dialogue was possible only when one has inner peace. He added that Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence was inspired by Lord Mahavir, the last Jain Tirthankara.