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TWO JAINS INITIATED AS ASCETICS AT SHRAVANABELAGOLA

Shravanabelagola, Mar 10: Amidst dharmic fervour, two Digambar Jain Brahmacharis 27-year old Brahmachari Mahendra Shah and 71-year old Brahmacharini Roopavathi Chougle were initiated (deeksha) as Kshullak Hithendra Sagar Maharaj and Kshullika Heerakmathi Mataji respectively on Friday by Acharya 108 Vardhamana Sagar Munimaharaj in the presence of Acharya 108 Gunandi Munimaharaj, HH Jagadguru Karmayogi Swasthishri Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji, and other Jain monks and nuns.

 The day began early morning with venerated Jain monk Acharya 108 Vardhamana Sagar Munimaharaj, and other Acharyas and Arikas, performing Keshalonchana, the manual plucking of the hair on the head and the beard of Mahendra Shah and the hair on the head of Roopavathi Chougle, at Varani Bhavan inside the Mutt premises. Later, the duo was ceremoniously brought to the Bandara Basadi where they worshipped Sahastra Koota Jina Bimba after a holy bath, 'mangala snana'. The family members of both the ascetics were present through out the ceremony.

 Later, at Chavundaraya Mantap, the initiation process was finalized after the two requested that they be initiated and the gathering of Acharyas, monks and nuns accorded permission for the same along with those in the gathering and the family members of the two ascetics. Acharya 108 Vardhamana Sagar Munimaharaj sought performed initiation ceremony by first removing tufts of hair locks from the scalp of the duo amidst chanting of Jain hymns. After a brief ceremony that followed, Brahmachari Mahendra Shah removed his cloths and clad himself in a loincloth. His mother Sunita Jain received the cloths and all other adornments, before she along with her husband Sureshchandra Jain, daughter Kavalshree Jain and others handed the traditional symbols of a Jain monk, the 'pincchi' (a fan of peacock feathers) and 'kamandala' (the water carrier).

 Simultaneously, her son Udyakumar Chougle and other family members handed Brahmacharini Roopavathi Chougle her 'pincchi' and 'kamandala'. Brahmacharini Roopavathi Chougle was clad in sparkling white cloths, and the duo were given another set of their new dress code, a saffron loincloth for Brahmachari Mahendra Shah and a white sari and other addendums to Brahmacharini Roopavathi Chougle. With the initiation process thus complete, Acharya 108 Vardhamana Sagar named them Kshullak Hithendra Sagar and Kshullika Heerakmathi Mataji, and a roar of approval went up among the crowd.

Addressing the gathering Acharya 108 Vardhamana Sagar Munimaharaj and HH Jagadguru Karmayogi Swasthishri Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji complimented the family of two, especially the parents of Kshullak Hithendra Sagar, in allowing them to embark on this course to salvation despite the severe peer pressure they had to overcome while allowing the two ascetics to embark on the course they had decided for themselves.

Kshullak Hithendra Sagar, a M.A (Hindi) post graduate, hails from Bholi, Sawai Madhavpur near the Jain holy shrine Mahaveerji kshtra in Rajasthan. Acharya Vardhamana Sagar initiated Shah as a Brahmachari 1 years ago.

Kshullika Heerakmathi Mataji hails from Bhose Village in Sangli, Maharasthra and had been a Brahmacharini for eleven years. She had visited the Jain holy place of Kshikarji in Jharkhand five times and had arrived at Shravanabelagola for the Mahamasthakabhisheka from Belgaum by walk with Acharya Vardhamana Sagar's team. Wife of late Devappa Annappa Chougle, Brahmacharini Roopavathi Chougle's mother was also a nun, late Aarika Sri Parswamathi Mataji. Munishri Approvasagar had initiated Roopavathi Chougle as a Brahmacharini.

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