India celebrated its 78th Independence Day this August 15. It is a
moment of pride and passion. Among several freedom fighters, many
Jains also contributed as freedom activists which made this day
possible. Their dedication and sacrifices were instrumental in
mobilizing support for the cause of independence. The International
School for Jain Studies ‘ISJS’ honors every individual who
courageously endured hardships, enabling us to witness the dawn of
freedom.
The popularity of Prakrit studies is evident by the number of
applications received by ISJS for the 5th batch of the Bhagwan
Mahavira Prakrit Fellowship program. This development bodes well for
the future of Jain studies, as the study of Prakrit is inherently linked to
its literary corpus and cannot be pursued in isolation.
The socio-religious fabric of ancient India is also reflected through its
ancient script and the two foundational rock inscriptions – from the
times of Ashoka and Kharvel – are in Brahmi which tell the stories of
the Buddhist and Jain traditions respectively. ISJS came up with a
workshop on Brahmi Script which was very well received and saw a
large number of participants actively learning Brahmi for a fortnight.
ISJS takes pride in providing comprehensive learning about Jain
studies, and having a spectrum of programs sets us free to offer
diverse and flexible opportunities.
Wishing the readers a Happy Indian Independence Day!