Jain Vishwa Bharati Preksha Meditation Center celebrates Maitri Diwas with Patrons and Community Leaders
HOUSTON: Jain Vishwa Bharati (JVB) Preksha Meditation Center hosted its annual community event “Maitri Diwas” a festival of forgiveness, under the auspicious guidance of Samani Arjav Pragyaji & Samani Swati Pragyaji (Disciples of Acharya Shri Mahashraman) on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
The special ceremony was well attended by 125+ community members comprising Jain Vishwa Bharati patrons & eminent leaders of 35+ organizations and Indian diaspora to capture the spirit of Maitri Diwas which is celebrated with the idea that friendship between people, and cultures can inspire peace and build bridges between the communities.
The program began with the recitation of the Navkar Mantra by Samani Arjav Pragyaji followed by a short yet powerful relaxation meditation session. After that the JVB Bhajan Mandali sang a melodious bhajan with meaningful lyrics about forgiveness. JVB Chairman, Shri Swatantra Jain extended his gratitude by delivering a welcome speech. A proclamation was presented by the Mayor of Houston, Mr. John Whitemire’s office, who declared the day as “The Day of Forgiveness” recognizing the Paryushan & Das Lakshan festivals celebrated at JVB Houston. Emcees of the program, Gaurav Jhaveri & Nikhil Jain kept the audience engaged.
The 1st part of the program was the recognition of the tapasvees who had observed fasting during the Paryushan. This year Ruchi Deepesh Jain of Richmond fasted the longest for 11 days, and there were many more who fasted for 8 days and some fasted for 3 or 4 days. They were all recognized by a beautiful poem written by Samanjis and were handed a plaque with the poem printed on it.
The highlight of this program was a special lecture & presentation by Samani Arjav Pragyaji on personal growth by believing in yourself & your destiny by using these 3 key strategies F- Foster Index, A – Accept the Imperfection and N – Nurture Accountability. Understandably, the acronym urges everyone to be your own FAN.
Samani Swati Pragyaji later led an interactive activity for the attendees, where they were asked to write down what was holding them back from “growing forward”. She urged them to leave it at the center in a small box symbolized as a last ritual box and start a new chapter.
The event also marked the unveiling of JVB’s next Mega Play – “Prem aur Vairagya ki Amar Kahani”, which is going to be held on January 12, 2025, at the Stafford Center. The director Hemant Bhavsar & key cast members were introduced, and support from community leaders was requested to make the upcoming play a grand success.
All invited community leaders were duly recognized by JVB Board Member, Nikhil Jain and President, Gaurav Jhaveri. These included dignitaries of community organizations and elected officials – Consul from the Indian Consulate, Judges from Fort Bend County, Leaders from Arya Samaj, Durga Badi, BAPS, HSS, Sewa International, Gujarati Samaj, ICC, IAPAC, JSH, IMAGH, Sathya Sai, IHA and several others.
Kunal Vyas BAPS wrote a beautiful poem in Hindi about his visit & spiritual time spent at the center with its members after the Paryushan festival.
Tasnim Vadva, President of Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston said “Thank you for including me on such a special occasion. I am grateful for the fellowship and for the extremely gracious welcome. I shared it with all my Jain friends in India. They were so impressed with how you have preserved the faith and essence of Jainism and the very progressive way you have included people of all faiths in your celebration. Thank you for the delicious lunch and for the grace with which it is served. I look forward to being part of it next year again”.
The program ended with the Mangal Path followed by a sumptuous lunch.
JVB Preksha Meditation Center envisions a blissful and peaceful society through Preksha Meditation, Yoga, and Education of Non-violence. It conducts weekly Mediation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions and runs dedicated events and programs like Children Gyanshala & Meditation Camps. Its open to all and every session or event is free of charge to its attendees. For further information, Call Gaurav Jhaveri at 407-965-9618. Visit www.jvbhouston.org or send email at info@jvbhouston.org for more information.
Pictures courtesy: Navin Mediwala