On 14th July 2024, more than thirty-five Jain organisations under the banner of OneJain UK came together to celebrate the 2550th anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavir attaining Nirvana in a landmark event at Harrow Leisure Centre, London. This was the first major OneJAIN UK event and heralds the way for many more such co-operative events in the future.
The event was attended by over 2000 Jains of all sects, from London, Leicester, Birmingham and Manchester. The attendees enjoyed a full day event that included delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On an auspicious bright and sunny day, the day commenced with a grand Jain procession through some of the streets of Harrow ending in Harrow Leisure Centre, which was transformed into a sanctified place of worship akin to the holy site of Pavapuri, Bihar, India – place of Bhagwan Mahavir’s Nirvana. This was followed by addresses from key dignitaries who attended the event, including: –
- His Excellency Shri Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK
- The Worshipful Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Salim Chowdhury
- The Hon Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State
The remainder of the day was dedicated to a variety show with performances from various UK Jain organisations, with participants ranging from young children to the elderly, all coming together with great enthusiasm and devotion. Special guest Harshil Moxit from India graced the occasion with their soulful sounds and Prabhu Bhakti, encouraging audience participation in signing Jain stavans.
The OneJain UK core committee for the event, which included Nemubhai Chandaria & Mehool Sanghrajka of the Institute of Jainology, Niraj Sutaria (President of Mahavir Foundation), Mukesh Kapashi (Vice President of Mahavir Foundation), Rajesh Jain (Trustee of Jain Vishva Bharti), and Abhishek Jain from Acharya Shri Vidyasagar Digambar Jain Charitable Trust London UK, are to be commended for the vision and execution of this momentous event.
Over 200 dedicated volunteers and all participants are also to be commended for all their hard work to ensure that the event was a great success as well as memorable for all those who attended and watched it live on YouTube.
The atmosphere was electrified with unity, devotion, and the shared goal of spreading the teachings and principles of Mahavir Swami. This event not only celebrated the rich heritage of the Jain community but also exemplified the strength and solidarity of the UK Jain community. It was filled with inspiration, collective worship, and a reaffirmation of the commitment to living by the ideals of non-violence, truth, and compassion as taught by Bhagwan Mahavir.
The event was streamed live on YouTube and has been viewed by nearly 9500 people to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx0VFTR5ZPw
Press Coverage of Above Event. Please Click on Following:
Gujarat Samachar
Garavi Gujarat
Posted By Kishor B Shah
26 July 2024
Photos by Tejasbhai Gujjar. To view more photos, please click on following link: