Jewar Jaina Temple

Summary

B. N. Jaini writes to highlight the stalled construction of a Sikharbandh Jain temple at Jewar, a small town in Bulandshahar district about sixteen miles from Khurja. Jewar has about twenty Jain families and a modest Chattyala. Five or six years earlier the community resolved to replace the Chattyala with a spired temple and purchased a plot at the end of the southern bazar because the existing site was too small. Construction commenced but soon halted when the available funds were exhausted. Several well‑to‑do donors who had pledged to finance the project failed to honour their commitments, leaving the building unfinished. Jaini explains that if these donors would pay what they owe, work could resume. He specifically asks the Jains of Khurja to remind L. Pyarey Lal of the donation promised by his late father L. Bansidhar. He also urges Jains in Bombay to persuade L. Lalji Mal, now proprietor of L. Chhaja Ram’s shop near Byculla Station, to settle his debt so that the local committee need not seek legal recourse. Beyond the immediate financial appeal, Jaini underscores that temple construction represents both spiritual devotion and communal responsibility. Broken pledges not only stall building but also erode trust and harmony. To reinforce ethical obligations, he requests that the Mahasabha and the Jain Young Men’s Association send an updeshaka to Jewar to remind residents of their duty to keep their promises. He concludes by noting that the temple would serve as a spiritual centre and symbol of Jain presence in the region and expresses confidence that the wider community will act with generosity and integrity to see the project completed.