14 June 2013 – Morning/Afternoon
The UK’s Jain communities were the focal point of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran’s visit to England on Friday 14 June.
His Eminence, accompanied by a delegation led by Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Office for Interreligious Relations, travelled to Potters Bar to visit the Jain Derasar at the Oshwal Centre, Hertfordshire.
The delegation were shown around the derasar – or temple – by the Oshwal Centre’s UK President Raaxeet Harakhchand Shah.
Following the tour, Cardinal Tauran gave an address to the community in the Oshwal Community Centre.
The audience also heard from Nalini Balbir – Professor of Indology, from the University of Paris-3 Sorbonne-Nouvelle, France. Prof Balbir’s talk gave a Jain perspective on the practice of non-violence and peace.
This was followed by a reflection on the same topic by Jesuit priest Prof Michael Barnes SJ.
Addresses from the visit to the Jain Derasar at the Oshwal Centre in Potters Bar can be downloaded to the right of this article.
Follow Cardinal Tauran’s visit on twitter search or use the hashtag #togetherforpeace.
catholicnews.org.uk/cardinal-tauran-in-uk-2013
Our official section for Cardinal Tauran’s visit
oshwal.co.uk
In 2005, the Oshwal Association of the U.K (OAUK) completed the building of the first traditional Shikarbandh Jain Derasar (Temple) at Oshwal Centre, Potters Bar. Due to the Derasar, Oshwal Centre is now a focal point for the Jain faith in the UK and a major attraction for Jains and non-Jains not only from the UK, but worldwide.
