Devotees pay last respects to departed Jain 'muni'

At 7 am on Tuesday morning, thousands of Jain devotees waited in pouring rain outside the Ambawadi Jain Sangh to pay their last respects to the departed Jain muni, Panyas Chandrashekharvijayji Maharaj.

A huge Palkhi yatra (funeral procession) was carried out with the mortal remains of the Maharaj in a Palkhi to Amiyapur Tapovan Peeth for the last rites.

The procession was accompanied by music and the devotees were seen throwing colours at each other. Chandrashekharvijayji Maharaj breathed his last at 12:49 pm on Monday after suffering from prolonged illness.

The 78-year-old Maharaj was known for his spirited nature and was a great source of inspiration for youth. He loved children and believed that they are the future of our country and so should be raised in a loving and safe atmosphere.

Maharaj was popular among devotees for his religious discourses. "During his religious discourse, the hall would be filled to the brim half an hour before time and more than 5,000 devotees used to attend his discourse," said one of his devotees, Bhadresh Shah.

Bhavin Sheth, who has been associated with the Late muni for the last 15-20 years, said, "During Chiman Patel's rein as the chief minister of Gujarat, Maharaj pressurised the government to make laws to prevent the rampant killing of cows and buffaloes. He believed that cow is our mother and shouldn't be killed. He compelled the government to take action against the killing of cows."