An estimated 6000 people attended the event, with many coming in to see us at the colourful JAINpedia stall. Raising awareness of the commendable project was one of our objectives, and achieved substantially, with hundreds signing up for the future JAINpedia e-newsletter.

The Institute of Jainology team, as always stood out in the orange JAINpedia t-shirts, and talked to people about the project objectives, achieved milestones and showed people screenshots of the upcoming comprehensive and well – designed JAINpedia website. All were impressed at how much would be viewable on the site from digitized manuscripts zoomable to the minutest details, to ample information about Jainism through related articles, written by scholars and experts from around the world.

Further to this, young university students were encouraged to spend some time during their holidays, volunteering for JAINpedia events and website work; several signing up just to know more about their own culture.

A fruitful day for the project and much fun for the team. A full article of the event can be found on the Institute of Jainology Site soon.

This cultural gathering is the biggest event in the Oshwal Calendar, with an outdoor stage event and several stalls of food and activities. The Institute of Jainology, will be there showcasing their various publications and activities from the past year, including the JAINpedia project and its achievements. The ‘Mela’ opens at 12.00pm and closes at 8.00pm. Come and see us at Stall B31 and see what is happening at JAINpedia including some screenshots of the upcoming authoritative and elaborate website.

Nick Barnard, curator of the Jainpedia display  at the V&A began the day with a presentation on Jain manuscript iconography, style and behind the scenes stories of Jain manuscripts not on display at the museum.

Thereafter, Mike Wheeler, the senior paper conservator explained the analysis of pigments in manuscripts and identifying any damage to them. The visitors were most fascinated when he showed this to them practically allowing them to see the raw mineral pigments.

The afternoon was commented to be the highlight of the day, with 15 visitors going to the Shikharbandhi Temple in Potters Bar. Arshna Sanghrajka gave an inspirational tour of the temple and its grounds, including a clear account of Jain principles and worship.  The beauty of the temple was appreciated immensely.

 A positively received event in general; ‘I enjoyed the visit to the Potters Bar temple and access to manuscripts in Storage’ (Inside Outing event visitor)

DATE: Thursday 16 June 2011
TIME:  10.00am to 5.30pm
MEETING PLACE: Hochhauser Auditorium in the Sackler Centre, Victoria and Albert Museum

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes day in two parts

In the morning you’ll take a closer look at some of the rare Jain manuscripts held in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. You will learn how conservation has enabled their digitisation and public display.

The Śvetāmbara temple at Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, the first Shikharbandhi Jain temple to be built in Europe. Image taken from the Learn Jainism website, used by courtesy of OAUK.

In the afternoon you will begin the second part of the event. You will be taken to visit the first Jain Śvetāmbara temple in Europe, in Potters Bar, not far from London. Completed in August 2005, this spectacular building uses 1300 tonnes of pink sandstone and 500 tonnes of Indian marble. The individual pieces were carved in India and then assembled on site by Indian craftsmen.

Visitors will be treated to a personal tour of the temple and its extensive grounds, and then to tea.

Organised in collaboration with the Institute of Jainology and supported by the V&A Jain Art Fund, this event is available at the special rate of £30 per person.

To book and pay for your place online, please click on the button at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1108/

You have just less than a week to book so you’ll need to hurry!

The Institute of Jainology was very fortunate to host the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Jain temple in Potters Bar.  The event took place on Friday 7th May and was organised jointly with the Oshwal Association of the UK.

Rowan Williams outside the Jain temple

Dr Williams was given a guided tour of the temple and took great interest in its architecture and symbolism.

Approximately 300 guests from the Jain community, other faiths and the local Hertfordshire community listened to Dr Williams’s keynote speech after the tour.

Dr Williams is a most humble and learned man, and reflected on man’s enslavement of himself through his passions and therefore his need to enslave others.

I was delighted at the opportunity to present Jainpedia to him, which he found ‘fascinating’.

I hope that, through the interfaith dialogues we have undertaken, other faiths develop similar resources. We can then show the commonality in basic values and threads in religious thought that have existed throughout the ages.

More photos of the visit and further information can also be seen on the IoJ website.