‘Digital fasting’: Path to detox for Jain youth | India News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: With gadgets serving as one of the biggest distractions for youth in the modern world, the Jain community has devised a way to break the virtual bondage.
“A mobile is a good servant, but a dangerous master.” That’s the tagline of the 50-day “digital fasting” challenge that a Jain organisation has been promoting among its youth. The top 10 performers of this feat of abstinence will win a free pilgrimage tour to Shri Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand.
The challenge’s rationale is to strengthen ties within families by weakening digital distractions besides sharpening concentration sans online interruptions. The results of this 50-day challenge, which began on July 23, will be announced on September 10. Posters heralding the contest have come up outside Jain temples in the Walled City of Ahmedabad. One such was sighted outside Shantinathji Jain Derasar at Haja Patel ni Pol on Relief Road in Kalupur.

The first step of the challenge does involve an online step: registration. But after signing up, participants will have to eschew all gadgets — mobiles, laptops, tablets, and phablets — for at least 12 hours a day. On observing the digital fast between 9am and 9pm, one gets 12 points. If the fast lasts from 9pm to 9am the following day, 9 points are awarded.
“The aim is to bring forth the foundational values of Jainism and make them relevant to the current generation,” said Ramesh Kumar Shah, founder of jainfoundation.in, who has launched the challenge. “Overall, the competition has drawn about 2,000 registrations including 300 from Gujarat,” he added.
Over the past four months, the newly set up foundation has been organising webinars on a variety of topics, including philosophy, Jain religion, rituals, devotion, education, and Jain art and architecture. The challenge is being supported by Jain groups in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Chennai.
Pravesh Mehta, treasurer of Jain International Trade Organization (JITO), Ahmedabad, said: “It’s an amazing initiative during Paryushan, that will lead the conversation to the optimum use of gadgets. I don’t remember using a mobile phone 20 years ago. We can manage our time without it.”
Jitendra Shah, former director of LD Institute of Indology, confirmed that Jain organisations in the city had agreed to promote the concept in Ahmedabad and other places in Gujarat.

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