Acharya Chandana

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Acharya

Chandana
Acharya Shri Chandanaji.jpg
Acharya Shri Chandanaji
Personal
Born
Shakuntala

(1937-01-26) 26 January 1937 (age 87)
Chaskaman, Maharashtra
ReligionJainism
Alma mater'Shastri’ in the subjects of Navya-Nyaya and Vyakaran from Banaras Hindu University.
Religious career
InitiationSadhvi Chandana
by Pujya Gurudev Upadhyay Amar Muniji Maharaj
Websitewww.veerayatan.org
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Acharya Chandana, (also Tai Maharaj, Chandanaji), belongs to the Amarmuni Sampradaya which—as of 2013—is the only Jain monastic lineage to have promoted a nun to the rank of Acharya. Chandana is known for introducing the concept of "seva" ('service to humanity') among the Jain. She founded Veerayatan—a non-profit, non-governmental service organization—which, as of 2013, has centers in more than ten countries.[1]

Early life[edit]

Relief Work at Veerayatan, Kutch
Construction of the 'Divine World' at Palitana

Chandana was born into a Kataria Bhil family in the village of Chaskaman, Maharashtra on 26 January 1937. Her mother, Prem Kuwar, and father, Manikchand, named her Shakuntala. She took formal education till third class. Her maternal grandfather convinced her to take initiation under the Jain Sadhvi Sumati Kuwar.[citation needed]

At the age of fourteen she renounced the world, took Jain diksha, and became Sadhvi Chandana. She made a twelve-year vow of silence to study Jain scriptures, the meaning and purpose of life, and different religions. She obtained the degrees of Darshanacharya from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai; Sahitya Ratna from Parayg; and a master's degree from the Pathardi Dharmik Pariksha Board. Chandana gained the title of Shastri in the subjects of Navya-Nyaya and Vyakaran from Banaras Hindu University. In 1972, Chandana began her humanitarian work in a poverty-stricken area in the state of Bihar, India.[citation needed]

Chandana became the first Jain woman to receive the title of Acharya in 1987.[2][3] This remains very controversial within the Jain community.[4]

In 1998, Chandana traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where she offered the opening prayer at the National Federation of Asian Indians of North America convention and was honoured for her contributions to peace.[3]

Founding of Veerayatan[edit]

Veerayatan, a religious organization based on the principles of Jainism[5] was founded by Chandana in 1974, in Bihar,[4] and is an international charitable organization that seeks to create social transformation among impoverished people through spiritual development, quality education, and service to others without discriminating against caste, creed, race, or gender.[6] Veerayatan is derived from two words:"Veer" (meaning 'of Lord Mahavira') and "aayatan" ('holy place').

The organization was founded on the occasion of Lord Mahavira's 2500th 'Nirvana Mahotsava'.[7][8] Three core focus areas of the organization are "seva" ('service to humanity'), "shiksha" ('education'), and "sadhana" ('self-development'). Veerayatan is the only Jain organization to promote the concept of "seva".[9] It has centres in Bihar, Kutch, Maharashtra, and other places in India and USA, UK, UAE, East Africa, and Singapore.[8]

Veerayatan operates hospitals, schools, colleges, and vocational training programs for the underprivileged throughout India.[1] Veerayatan runs an eye hospital at Rajgir; a charitable school at Lachuar; and a BEd college at Pawapuri.[10][8] In the Kutch district, Veerayatan runs two primary and one secondary educational institutions, an institute of pharmacy offering undergraduate and graduate programs, an institute of management and computer applications offering undergraduate programs, an institute of engineering, management, and research offering graduate and diploma programs.[8]

Veerayatan initiated emergency relief camps and rehabilitation programs in the aftermath of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat,[11] the tsunami in 2004, during the Surat floods in 2006. and the Kosi River floods in 2008.

Other work[edit]

An artist, Chandana has set up a museum named Shri Brahmi-Kalamandiram in Bihar which houses her artifacts and other creations. She traveled abroad to support the creation of a museum at the Leicester Jain center in the United Kingdom. Chandana founded Divine World in the pilgrimage town of Palitana, expounding the message of Tirthankara.

Recognition and awards[edit]

  • Shri Devi Ahilya National Award, 2002 for her humanitarian services and animal welfare activities
  • Sant Balji Award
  • JAINA Presidential Award, 2007

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998). Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-violence. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 270. ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6.
  2. ↑ Miller, Christopher Patrick; Long, Jeffery D.; Reading, Michael (15 December 2019). Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 7–10. ISBN 978-1-4985-6485-4.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Singh Butalia, Tarunjit; Small, Dianne P. (2004). Religion in Ohio: Profiles of Faith Communities. Ohio University Press. pp. 369–. ISBN 978-0-8214-1551-1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wiley, Kristi L. (2009). The A to Z of Jainism. Scarecrow Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-8108-6821-2. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Ancient Mahavir idol stolen". The Times of India. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. ↑ Chapple, Christopher Key (2006). Jainism and Ecology: Non Violence in the Web of Life. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 166. ISBN 978-81-208-2045-6.
  7. ↑ "Rebel-turned-Acharya Inspires Jain Convention". NewsIndiaTimes.com. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Veerayatan to open 200 schools". The Times of India. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Rebel-turned-Acharya Inspires Jain Convention". NewsIndiaTimes.com. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Ancient Mahavir idol stolen". The Times of India. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Makeshift Schools Ease Trauma of India Quake". The New York Times. 8 April 2001.


External links[edit]

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