COMMUNITY CORNER JAINA Convention 2023: An Amazing Experience By Sanjay Bhandari
Sanjay Bhandari is a section editor of the Young Generation section of Jain Digest. He is an international Ambassador with Jains Got Talent (JGT) team of JAINA and has served as a judge of JGT competitions during the 2023 JAINA Convention. He has also held various positions at Jain Society of Greater Detroit. He has two master’s degrees MBA and MCA. He works as an Integration Manager at Marathon Petroleum. Sanjay enjoys traveling, music, movies, cricket, singing, socializing, and writing movie reviews on social platforms.
The JAINA Convention, held every two years in the USA, brings together the Jain community for four days of celebration, joy, and cultural exchange. On a very fortunate day during my regular evening walk, I was offered to be one of the emcees at this year’s JAINA Convention in Lakeland, Florida. Adding to my joy, I was also asked to be one of the judges for the prestigious "Jains Got Talent" event. These opportunities to serve at the convention resulted in an amazing experience for me and my wife, Manisha. Here are some of the highlights: At the convention, we cherished reconnecting with friends, discussing about their families and the cultural activities in US Jain centers, and meeting dignitaries and scholars. The diverse lineup of events, including lectures by dignitaries, the grand procession, JAB event, Jains Got Talent, cultural performances, Bollywood night, and delicious food, added to our enjoyment. I was able to meet my mentors and leads from JAINA, Dilipbhai Parekh (Jain Digest), Jayeshbhai Sanghvi (Jains Got Talent) and many other colleagues for the first time in person, though I have been working with them for many years.
One of the major highlights of the convention was an opportunity for the attendees to engage with esteemed scholars and Gurus invited from India, USA, and other countries. As one of the emcees for this event, my challenge was to decide how to introduce them on the main stage in front of 3000+ audience, which was quite overwhelming. I did not want to just read from their bio. I wanted to get to know them. Fortunately, I was able to meet many of them at the Dignitaries dinner. During the
conversation, I learned more about them; beyond their official bio. Here are some examples: Sadhavi Sangh Mitra, who is disciples of Acharya Chandana ji, shared with me that Chandana ji is a self-made multiple dimensional personality, poet, writer, singer, and visionary whose selfless work has made her a world icon in last 50 years. She further added that Chandana Ji is the first Jain Sadhavi ji to receive the Acharya status as well as the Padma Shri award.
I met Dr. Kummar Chatterjee, a musical maestro of Bengali origin, who shared how Jainism transformed his perspective and how his father's illness led him to his musical therapy aiding thousands. I sang a fitting soulful song for him on the stage, and he was delighted to listen to it.
World famous inspirational storyteller, Shri Shantilal Ji Golecha told me that the mantra (secret) to success is to believe in yourself and not doing a copy of anyone. Golecha Ji had 51