Vellore will witness this weekend, the first ever celebration of a 23-year-old Vellorean spiritual aspirant, Reshma Jain, embracing nun-hood. Clad in ceremonial bridal attire, perhaps for the first and last time in her life, the B Com graduate from local Auxilium College, announced her desire to become a Jain Muni at a press conference here on Tuesday. Born and brought up in Vellore, she is the first girl to become a monk and the Jain community in the city is planning to celebrate the occasion in a grand manner.
“I am taking ‘diksha’ out of my own will to spread the messages of Jainism to the world,” she declared. “I want everyone to know the religion in a better way,” she said. When she told her parents last year about her decision to become a muni, meanwhile planning for a career as a charted accountant, it shocked them. “They did not give their consent for another six months,” she recalled. They gave their formal consent recently, she said, adding, “Perhaps they wanted their daughter to stay with them for some more time. They have overcome their brief grief, and are happy now”.
“It is not that I do not love my family. I prefer to help others and the whole community in a better way,” she reasoned. “The very purpose of life was to imbibe happiness from divinity, but nobody in this materialistic world is happy. Renunciation is one way of attaining happiness and making others also happy,” she added. Reshma felt that, as preached by her gurus, there was no life without diksha.
Her younger sister Akshita, noted, “We used to play, and spend time together all these years. She has opted to go and I am proud that she wants to lead a different life altogether.” Her parents Chandulal and Nirmalabai, who were jewellers and textile merchants, said their daughter had chosen to give her life to God. “We are sure she will be happy, blessed by God,” they said. Reshma has started receiving rigorous training from her gurus Sadhwi Bhavyagunasri and Divyapragyaji to transform herself into a nun. On March 2 (Saturday), she would receive diksha from Archaya Sri Jenortham Surishwarji, the supreme pontiff of the Jain community, at a function at Sambav Susheel Diksha Vatika here. After initiation into nun-hood, she would wear white attire and go barefoot along with the other woman saints in the fraternity practicing the vows of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth) and asteya (taking what is given). Her name would be changed and she would practice celibacy (brahmacharya) for the rest of her life. She would live away from her family and stay close to her guru.
Ramesh Vora, one of the organisers of the event, said on March 1, Reshma would be taken in a procession in the morning around the city when she will throw away jewels and clothing, symbolising ‘varshidhan’ -- an act of sacrificing worldly pleasures. Members of the community would collect the things thrown by Reshma and would accompany her. The procession would also witness dancing and singing by members of the community. Later, saints would conduct special prayers for her well being. At night, there would be an emotional ceremony when family members would bid farewell to the daughter who is leaving the family.
The next day, Reshma would seek the blessings of the elders and saints. Then the diksha ceremony would be performed in a closed hall when the hair on Reshma’s head would be plucked manually. Reshma would then change into white attire and, after being blessed by the saints present, would formally join the community of saints.