The temple is the largest of its kind in Europe and offers a glimpse of the rich traditions of Jain religion.
Here is one more reason to visit Antwerp. Besides trade, tourism and shopping, a visit to a newly built magnificent Jain temple is a must to see how Jains settled in Antwerp for the past many years are keeping their religious traditions alive.
The temple is the largest of its kind in Europe and offers a glimpse of the rich traditions of Jain religion. The temple stands tall in Wilrijk, one of the most posh localities in Antwerp, which is a home away from home for many Gujaratis connected with diamond trade.
Funded mostly by Jain diamantaires living in Antwerp and India,
it was built under the aegis of Jain Cultural Centre of Antwerp (JCCA), an association of Jain community members. “The temple showcases the rich traditions of our religion and culture. We will not be here one day, but this temple will continue to remain a symbol of our tradition for the future generations,” Paresh Sanghvi, a diamond trader and one of the trustees of the temple, said.
According to Jain community members, the temple was conceptualised almost 25 years ago. Land was also acquired for the temple soon after that, but actual work on it began only in the late 90s.
The temple was completed recently, and its pran-pratishtha held in August-end. Sanghvi said that with such a large number of Jain families living in Antwerp, a place to offer prayers was very much needed, and this is how the temple was conceived. A lot of time and energy went into planning of the temple, which authorities say has been minutely planned according to Jain scriptures. Over the years, thousands of craftsmen from India were taken to Antwerp to work on the massive temple project.
People connected with the project said that the temple not only strengthened the bonding between Jain community people in Antwerp, but also among other Indian communities living in Antwerp. The temple cost several million euros, but temple authorities are unwilling to reveal the exact money spent for building the temple. Temple authorities said they have received a lot of support from the governors and local administration over the years for the project.
“Antwerp has been very warm to the Indian community, and the temple is our way of giving something back to the city. It would not have been possible to build the temple without support from authorities,” said another trustee of the temple.
While one may feel that the temple took very long to complete, diamantaires have a valid explanation to offer. “Anything that has to last for hundreds of years, will take some time to be built. This was the simple idea we had when planning and executing the temple project,” said Ashit Mehta, one of the leading diamantaires in Antwerp. Detailing of the temple, to ensure it complied totally with religious scriptures and strictures, took long.
Moreover, adverse weather conditions meant that craftsmen could not work in the open for three to four months in the winter season, so a lot of time was lost, he said further. Mehta further said that the temple will have a significant impact on the future of Jain community in Antwerp. “Everybody who is born here or the future generations to come will follow Jain religion and follow it in the right way because of this temple,” he said.
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