Indian girl gives up $60 million inheritance for her religion: What is the Jain faith?

An eight-year-old Indian girl gave up a million-dollar inheritance and entered a strict religious order of the Jain faith this week.

Devanshi Sanghvi was due to inherit the Sanghvi and Sons jewelery business in Surat, known locally as the “Diamond City” for its importance in the world trade in precious stones.

The family this week announced the vocation of Devanshi, who was feted in a four-day ceremony until she arrived on Wednesday in an elephant-drawn carriage to the temple where she changed from her luxurious clothing to a simple white cotton outfit.

The girl, known among members of the Jain community for her piety, “never watched TV, movies or been to malls and restaurants”, indicated, a close friend of the family.

He is one of the youngest people to have performed the “diksha” ceremony to abandon his material possessions and enter Jain monasticism.

His family business, founded in 1981, has a net worth of about $60 million, according to ICRA, an Indian credit rating agency.

Her parents stated that she was in a hurry to become a nun, according to local media.

His family is a member of the Jain faith, a religion founded in India in the sixth century before the Christian era, which advocates non-violence, asceticism, strict vegetarianism and love for all creatures.

Jainism has more than four million adherents in India, many of whom are engaged in commerce.

This religion has been criticized for some of its ritual practices, such as extreme fasting.

A 13-year-old girl died in 2016 in Hyderabad (center) because of two months of fasting that she practiced as penance and could only drink hot water twice a day.

Source: AFP