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Austerity in this "ism"
High up, on Shetrunjaya Hill in Gujarat, western India, is the abode of the
Jain Tirthankaras - a set of 24 gods, including Adinath. A cluster of 863 shrines, 600 meters above the town of Palitana, the architecture of the temples reflects centuries and generations of grandeur, wealth, religious leanings, aesthetic values... for me it was an arduous climb of about 3500
steps - but in miles, a mere 2.5. The devout Jains refrain from gorging during the uphill climb, as well as on their descent. They may sip just some boiled water, as prescribed by their religion - Jainism, a religion hard to practice with the prime maxim and practise of non-violence in any form. For obvious reasons, Jainism has a relatively very small following globally, today, with their largest population mainly in India. Paradoxically, even today, they're among the wealthiest set of people, both in their country of origin, as well as abroad. |
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