9-yr-old daughter of Gujarat diamond merchant embraces monkhood
Surat (PTI): A nine-year-old daughter of a wealthy diamond merchant embraced monkhood in Gujarat on Wednesday, renouncing material comforts.
Devanshi, the eldest of the two daughters of Dhanesh and Ami Sanghvi, took 'diksha' in the presence of Jain monk Acharya Vijay Kirtiyashsuri and hundreds of other people at a venue in Vesu locality of Surat, a family associate said.
Her father is the owner of Sanghvi and Sons, a nearly three-decade old diamond polishing and export firm in Surat.
The minor girl's 'diksha' -- or vow of renunciation -- marks her initiation into the ascetic life. The ceremony began last Saturday.
She will now shun all the material comforts and luxury, which her family of diamond merchants could have provided her.
Devanshi was inclined towards spiritual life since a very young age and had even walked about 700 km with other monks and embraced their life before formally being initiated into monkhood, family friend Nirav Shah said.
She knows five languages and also has other skills, he said.
"Today, she was given 'diksha' at a function. The Sanghvis have two daughters -- Devanshi is the elder one and she has a four-year-old sister," he said.
"Devanshi showed religious inclination since she was a toddler. She has followed the ascetic life since a very young age," he said.
On Tuesday, a day before Devanshi took 'diksha,' a religious procession was taken out with fanfare in the city, Shah said.
A similar procession was also taken out in Belgium, he added.
Several diamond traders from the Jain community have close business links with Belgium.
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Let there be no light: Sombre shadow over Gateway of India as boat tragedy 'sinks' in
Mumbai (PTI): Tourist boats docked in the Arabian Sea at the Gateway of India, a popular attraction in south Mumbai, usually remain brightly illuminated until late in the night.
However, they were not lit up on Wednesday night, reflecting the somber mood that prevailed after a boat tragedy off the Mumbai coast in which 13 persons, including Navy personnel, lost their lives. Ninety nine passengers were rescued from the boat.
The tragedy unfolded in the evening after a speeding Navy craft crashed into a ferry carrying passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination around 45 minutes away.
The iconic British-era monument attracts large crowds of tourists from all parts of the country and even the world.
Winters, when Mumbai weather is pleasant, attract even larger crowds at the seafront landmark which recently completed 100 years. Many of them go for boat rides, while some visit Elephanta, a collection of ancient caves located on the Gharapuri island.
Following the tragedy near a jetty off the Butcher island, police stopped tourists entry at the Gateway of India and suspended boat services, docking them at their designated spots. However, the Mumbai-Alibaug boat services, remained operational till the evening.
A musical event of a private financial institution was going on at the Gateway of India even as anxious relatives of the missing persons waited outside the police post to know updates about their near and dear ones.
Offices of tourist boat operators, teeming with people on normal days, were closed. These included the office of the operators whose boat had capsized following the crash. Tourists looked disappointed as the entry was restricted for them.
Police have heightened security in the area and ambulances were seen parked at the Gateway of India. The crash cast a somber shadow over the landmark's vicinity.
Khalashis (assistants) and boat drivers were seen discussing the incident or going about their routine tasks such as preparing food and fetching fresh water in their boats.
