Six people from a single-family belonging to the Jain community from three generations took deeksha in Nageshwara Pashwa Bhairava Jain temple at Avaragere on the outskirts of the Davangere on Monday. This initiative is said to be the first of its kind in India where three generations of a single-family renounced worldly pleasures to become monks.
Varadichand Ji (75), son Ashok Kumar Jain (47), daughter-in-law Bhavana Ashok Jain (45), grandchildren Pakshal Jain (17), Jinak Kumar Jain (15) and Lakhakumar Jain (23) took deeksha, the first step of their initiation into monkhood, as per Jainism. Acharya Srimad Vijaya Uday Prabh Sureeshwara Ji gave deeksha to them. Thousands of people participated in the farewell programme held on Sunday night. They decided to renounce worldly pleasures.
Jain community leader Goutham Jain said that they transferred immovable properties to their relatives legally before taking deeksha. They donated cash, gold and other ornaments to people. At present, they have only 13 things including cloth, broomstick and other essential things.
He said that they would walk barefoot for about eight months in a year and teach the principles of non-violence.
A 13-year old boy Harshakumar from Kalaburgi has decided to take deeksha in Susheel Dhama on June 13 in Bengaluru.