On April 7, 2001, The Tennessean reported on Jainism, "a world religion that sprung from ancient India." It "has
elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, but its stress on personal responsibility,
nonviolence and other doctrines make it a faith in its own right." There are about 25 Jain families...
On April 1, 2001, The Tennessean reported that the Bible Belt is now home to "Six Buddhist communities. Five Jewish congregations. Five Islamic mosques. A
Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching abode. Plus
assorted Sikhs and Jains...Others exist, too." Tom Russell, a...
On February 8, 2001, The Boston Herald reported that "the local Indian community plans to adopt families, villages and schools in
the earthquake-ravaged Gujarat region and target donations and long-term
support...The groups decided to pool
their efforts in order to get the most for each dollar raised...The meeting of 22 Indian social organizations in Cambridge Sunday brought
together Hindus, Moslems, Jains and Sikhs, and people from diverse Indian
regions and ethnic groups." One local group, Hindu Swayansewak Sangh, has raised...
In the December 2000-February 2001 edition of Jain Spirit,
the Jain Associations of North America (JAINA) requested the Mayor of
Buffalo, New York, to proclaim the 2nd of October as Ahimsa Day. This
date marks and honoured the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who followed
Lord Mahavir's teachings and outlook towards all forms of life. The
Mayor, Anthony Masiello, signed a Proclamation which states the benefits
of Ahimsa and details several points of a non-violent way of life.
On March 31, 2000, the Los Angeles Times published an
article on the Jain Center of Southern California, whose renovation
plans were approved by the Buena Park City Council in California. The
revamped center will be a $5 million structure that will take 12 to
18 months to complete. It will serve the approximately 900 Jain
families that live within a 7-mile radius of the temple and will
include a library containing about 8,000 religious books and some
manuscripts dating back 800 years, a temple, a children's room, and
activity and...
On July 31, 1999 Akron Beacon Journal featured an article on the research of Northern Ohio's religious diversity by Pluralism Project affiliates. The "growth in religious diversity has been examined by two Kent State University researchers... Dr. David Odell-Scott, associate professor of philosophy... and Dr. Surinder M. Bhardwaj, a professor of geography... received a 1998 grant through the Pluralism Project at Harvard University to map the religious diversity of Northern Ohio...
As a result of that work, the researchers have...
On March 27, 1999, the Jain Center
of Northern California (JCNC) announced that construction of the
first Jain Bhawan in Northern California will begin on April, 17,
1999 in Milpitas, CA. The Bhawan will be a 2-story, 24,000 square
foot structure that will hold a multi-purpose Community Center and a
space exclusively for religious worship.
On November 14, 1998, The Arizona Republic published an
article on Prem L. Gandhi, a Jain woman who completed a 45-day fast
during which she only drank small amounts of boiled water. Gandhi,
who lives in Tempe, AZ but is originally from India, went to the
small western Indian town of Palitana to undergo the fast. Gandhi
fasted one day for each volume of the Jain holy scriptures, the 45
agams of the Ardhamaghdi.
On July 20, 1998, the New York Times ran an article which reported on the arranged union of a Jain native New Yorker (an investment banker) with a Jain woman of India. "In modern immigrant families -- where the bindings between new land and homeland are stronger than ever before -- the children almost inevitably find themselves pushed and pulled between the culture and values of their parents and those of the larger American society. Such ambiguities are perhaps never more acute than when a decision about marriage -- the arc of...
"The Jain Center of
Northern California (JCNC) celebrated the Bhumi Pujan
ceremony on a rainy morning of November 15, 1997, with
great devotion, splendor, and gaiety. The event marked an
auspicious beginning of the construction of the first
Jain Bhawan in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The JCNC
intend to build a unique landmark for Jains across the
United States, Canada, and the rest of the world."
"Jain Center of New Jersey (JCNJ) has signed a
contract for the purchase of a property in Edison, New
Jersey. The property is an existing 26,000 sq. ft. single
story building located on 8 acres of land. Site plans
have been submitted to the Edison Township for approval.
... The existing building will be improved and expanded
to house temples in Shwetamber and Digamber traditions,
prayer halls for Sthanakvasi and Srimad Rajchandra
traditions, an...
"Jain Center of America (JCA) recently purchased a
property in Lake Success, Long Island, New York. The site
consists of approximately 4 acres of land just off Long
Island Expressway. JCA plans to build a spacious and
attractive facility that will include a temple, auxiliary
facilities for religious activities and a community
hall."
"The Jain Center of Greater Detroit celebrated a brick
laying ceremony at their temple site on Saturday,
September 27, 1997. The Detroit temple is under
construction and the society wanted all of their members'
participation in giving a symbolic hand in building the
"Jinalaya." ... During the ceremony, over 160 families
(more than 400 individuals) had an opportnity to place a
brick on the northwest corner wall of the temple in
construction."