45 Jains embark on road to sainthood

Of the 45 who attained sainthood, the youngest comprise a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. The eldest is a 59-year-old man. Of the 30 females, 17 are from Surat, followed by 10 from Mumbai and five from Ahmedabad. The rest come from places like Navsari, Halol and Kolkata.

Thousands of Jains from Surat and other parts of state and elsewhere were present at Ichhanath.

On Monday morning, the 45 Jains bathed for the last time and  met their family members. Accompanied by friends, they entered the pandal and took blessings from the priests. Following the bath, they were tonsured and shaved. Subsequently, they donned the white robes and assumed new names after the ritual.

The event coordinator team member, Sanjay Vora, said, “The event has happened after 500 years, wherein 45 people have embraced diksha and went from the worldly life to a spiritual one. These monks will now onwards never use worldly items and will not stay at their homes. They have donated their life to the Maharajsaheb and work to spread Jainism across the country. These people will never ride motor vehicles and never bathe till their last breath. They will also eat in simple wooden dishes. They can meet their parents and brothers and sisters, but they will not touch them. Their lives have changed.”