Jain Faith Celebrates 1st Michigan Temple
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FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — With song, dance and colorful attire, celebrants of the ancient Jain religion welcomed their first temple in Michigan.
The $5-million, 25,000-square-foot temple gives adherents of the religion a place to worship. Jain is based on tolerance and nonviolence. “This is a whole new beginning,” said Neil Shah, 16. “When our parents were in India, they could pray in the temple in the morning or in the evening. Now we have that opportunity.”
The temple is second in size only to the one in Chicago. About 330 families sponsored the Michigan temple, which was 23 years in the planning. They say the religion had been neglected by organizers of the many interfaith programs in the Detroit area.
“It may have been our fault that the Jains were invisible to us, but we certainly want to welcome them into our interfaith programs now,” said the Rev. Daniel Krichbaum, head of the National Conference for Community and Justice in Detroit.
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