NEW JERSEY: More than 6000 people attended the 14th biennial JAINA convention at the NJ Convention and Expo Center in Edison, New Jersey, July 5-8.The mega scale convention saw more than 100 scholars, sadhus and sadhvis attending from around the world, among them Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev and Swami Tadatmananda, Swami Rakeshbhai Jhaveri and Dr Dipak Jain (Dean of Kellogg Business School).

The four-day event had four parallel programs - for adult family members; young Jains (Ages 14-29), a Networking Forum for friendships, dating or marriage; and for children ages 5-12.At any given time, there were some 20 sessions going on simultaneously so the choice was enormous for everyone to be able to pick and choose what they liked.

There were five venues that were used in parallel - NJ Expo center, Sheraton Hotel, Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn and Royal Albert's Palace (for Raas Garba). Topics for the talk sessions included Peace through dialogue; dharma and sampradaya, ethics and values from a Jain perspective and so on. The highlight of the convention was the various symposiums, panel discussions and interactive dialogues with the various attending scholars. Former Ambassadors Dr L M Singhvi and Dr N P Jain talked about various aspects of Jainism like Ecology, Historicity, Jain Diaspora, etc.

Congressman Frank Pallone and Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula graced the occasion.The evenings on all four days saw cultural programs performed by famous groups from India and other local groups. Other event highlights included: Ashtapad Mahatirth and the Hidden Treasure - A display of precious and semi-precious stones; Samosaran Rangoli -- an intricate rangoli, about 16 ft by 20 ft in size done at a marathon pace in 6 days and 6 nights by a Jain group from Kenya; 54 vendor booths and Artist Exhibitions; Ranakpur Temple like Interior - The entire NJ Expo Center Main Hall interior looked like the Ranakpur Temple, designed by Architect Alvin Holmes based on the book on Jain Temple design by the famous photographer Thomas Dix who was present on the occasion; Food - some 80,000 meals were served during the four days by four different caterers.

At the conclusion of the grand affair, Program Chair Nitin Talsania said, "For an event of this scope and size, there are so many variables that one cannot take anything for granted. Although our planning was good, there were enormous challenges and obstacles due to the campus structure we inherited. Such an event can only succeed if there is a divine spirit helping you."