While the pandemic has put paid to many a religious occasion for over a year now, in a small corner in north Chennai, it was temporarily forgotten as devotees from all over the city and several other states gathered for the 66th birthday celebration of the Jain monk P Pu Pratibhaji Ms.
Prayers, hymns, chants and divine invocations filled the halls of Pandian Theatre as Pratibhaji and fellow elders - P Pu Shrutmuniji Ms and Vavunmuniji Ms - conducted the ceremonies. "This is not a celebration but a way to say thanks to all our gurus and elders. We don't do Guru Poornima but we thank them on this occasion; for everything they have done," shared Pratibhaji after the event.
That's why the people of the Sangh gather to celebrate the guru’s birthday, adds P Pu Mahimaji, another monk. As a means of marking the guru's birthday, several devotees offered their penance as gifts. The period of fasting ranged from nine days to a month. Mahimaji fasted for 21 days. This ocassion also served to keep people updated about the many welfare programmes created by the monks.
This year's highlight was the meditation centre that she has been building in Maharashtra. While older monks are often left to their devices, this centre is set to be a place they can spend their last days in.
They are hoping to inaugurate it in March next year, share devotees Rakesh Nahar, Prince Katariya and Mansukh Gandhi. At the event organised by SVS Jain Mahasangh, Chennai, Pratibhaji’s message was to stay positive in the face of these hard times. While the pandemic may rage on, it is important to do meditation and help the needy, she suggested.