Surat: A 15-year-old boy from Ahmedabad, Vansh Patel, will take diksha (embracing Jain monkhood) in Palitana on April 23.Vansh is the only child of an inter-faith couple, Praful Patel (44) and Vaishali Patel (43). Praful belongs to the Patidar community and Vaishali is a Jain. Vaishali said Vansh was encouraged to respect both religions. “Being a child of an inter-faith couple, we ensured he understood and respected both faiths. As a child, I used to recite Adinath Dada Stavan to him at bedtime like a lullaby. While he learnt Jain values such as non-violence from an early age, he also celebrated the Ganpati festival for 10 days every year, as we installed an idol at home.” “We also ensured he visited the Umiya temple in Unjha four times a year while continuing to worship at Jain temples and perform rituals,” she added.Vansh studied till Class 9 at Amrit Jyoti School in Ahmedabad. According to his parents, a series of experiences gradually influenced his decision to renounce worldly life.“In 2016, a Sadhvi Maharaj inspired him to stop bursting firecrackers during Diwali, and he immediately decided to give them up. Impressed by his response, she gave him the lead role in a Jain play where the character chooses religion over personal needs. After that, he began observing various Jain fasts,” Vaishali said. In Jan last year, during a school trip to Velavadar sanctuary, he saw wildlife struggling for food and water and roaming in search of survival. That deeply moved him and strengthened his resolve to renounce the world. Praful said he too has increasingly adopted Jain practices in recent years and is currently observing the Varshi Tap. “Over the last three years, my faith in religion has deepened. Earlier I did not even know the Navkar Mantra, but I learnt it while following Jain rituals.”
