Guj: 96 Jains embrace monastic life in 2 functions in Surat

Ninety-six men and women from the Jain community took vows of monkhood in two separate programmes held at Vesu and Pal localities of Gujarat's Surat on Saturday.

In the programme held at Belar House ground in Vesu, 77 men and women embraced the monastic life while in the Pal locality function, 19 men and women became monks under the guidance of a spiritual leader, organisers said.

They are from Surat as well as cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Coimbatore among others, and their ages range from 10 to 88 years, organisers added.

"Among those who took up monastic life are 16 children, and all members of six families. There are chartered accountants, engineers, a Bollywood editor, businessmen," they said.

The function at Vesu saw the 3,500 guests accommodated in a 16,000-foot replica of a Jain derasar (temple).