lndianl.inkij)

Arrangement KUSUM SINGH

Camera RADHA SINGH

Operations KARISHAMA SINGH

Concept RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Melbourne's Shwetambar Jain community rejoiceatstone-laying ceremony of"firstJaintemple

BY MRIDUSMITA HALOI

he foundationstone laying cere1nony or'Shilanyas' forthe first fain Derasar (te1nple) in Melbourne wasperforn1edin the early hours of Wednesday4August in Moorabbin, Victoria, under the spiritual guidance of Pujya Acharya Bhagwant Jagvallabh SuriMaharaja.

Scenesofjubilation broke outas the21 beautifullycarved1narbleShilas(stone slabs)were laid into thegroundamidst chantingofprayers, in the presenceof manydignitariesandprominentme1nbers of theco1nn1unity,includingleadersof variousreligious organisations.

Jain templesinIndia are incredible architecturalmarvels, and the Melbourne Jain temple will be nodifferent - must-see forall. It willbe made ofwhite Makrana marblefromIndia,verysiinilartothekind usedto buildmanyiconic1nonu1nentsin India, includingtheTaj Mahal.

Morethan5,000piecesof beautifully carvedmarble, weighingabout 1500 tonnes,willbe i1nportedfromIndiato buildthe temple. Currently,more than 300artisansareundertakingthecarving work, whichisexpectedtotakearound30 months tocon1plete.

The temple, includingthecommunity hall,issettocost millionsofdollars, mostlyto befundedbythemembersofthe community.

"Itisaremarkablefeatforasucha smallcommunityofaboutfivehundred familiesto embarkonsuchanambitious project,"saidMrJasonWood,Federal AssistantMinisterforMulticulturalAffairs. Attendingtheevent,hepledgedhissupport towardsthecompletionofthe project.

Thetemple isexpectedto welcome devoteesby2023.

TheConsulGeneralof India, MrRaj Kumar,describedthishistoricevent as "anotherfeatherinthecapof theIndian diaspora."

MayorofKingston City MrSteve Staikoscongratulated the Jain co1nn1unity, while observingthat theconstruction of a temple ofsuch magnitude and beauty will helpin forgingahead Melbourne's multiculturalism.

Mr Nitin Doshi, the Presidentof Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh (MSJS) told IndianLink, "A beautifullycarved white marble temple ofShri Sumatinath Bhagwan will bean iconicdevelopment in Melbourne.Oneofitskind, it will become ago-toplace forall Jains in Melbourne forreligious rituals, andwillprovide a spiritual sanctuary forgenerations to corne. We hope itwill continue toshowthe pathofliberation through Jainisrnvalues and enhance positivityfor the surrounding co1nmunity."

Thepropertywasacquired in 2017 and since then a temporaryfacilityin the sitehasbeen functioningasa com1nunity centre. Thiswasupgradedin the recent past, thanks to theVictorian Government's Multicultural Co1nmunity Infrastructure Fund (MCIF)of$230,000 dollars.

The te1npleprojectwasenvisaged in 2015, and since then theco1nmunityhas dedicateditselfphysically, emotionally and financiallytowardsthisgoal. For devoutme1nberslike Ekta Shah,it is a drea1ncome true. ''Weare so excited that the Shilanyasisfinallytakingplace," she remarked. "Therehave been delays due tolockdowns and otherobstacles along theway-thesehave made our resolve only stronger."

Jignesh Shahsummed up the mood ofthe Jaincon,munitysuccinctly. "This isa historic moment,oneforwhich we have waited foryears. Aswe launch the constructionofour temple, we hope it will be a steppingstone forour future generations toconnectwith ourfaith."

JasmaSutariaadded,"Livingawayfro1n India,weareextremelyfortunate thatweget toparticipateinaceren1onysuchasthisone. Itisakeystep inthebuildingofamonument thatwill111eansomuchtosomanypeople. Manypeopleevenin Indiado notgetto participateinthis - astemplesaremainly renovated,sofoundationstonesdonotneed tobelaidagain. So tobeabletobuildsuch anedificefromscratch,isamatterofgreat prideandspiritualsatisfaction."

Anothercongregation memberNimita Bagadia told IndianLink, "I1nagine the numberofprayers thatwillbechanted here, and theconcernsthatwill becalmed acrossgenerations ofdevoteesthatwill enterthis temple. Thishistorical Shilanyas event fills me withjoy,happiness,and so muchgratitude."

It isquite clear thatfor this 4000-strong Australia-wide community, faithisa strong guidinglight, especiallyat a time whenour worlds have beenturned upsidedownin thecurrentpandemic.

BY RITAM MITRA

heongoingspectreofCOVlD-19 lockdownshaselicited fron, many ofus some previously repressed talents: cooking, home improven,ent, arts and crafts. During Sydney's2020 COYID-19 restrictions, 20-year-oldYir Srinivas en1barked on a much more ambitious lockdown project than most: writingand directinghis first feature length film, despite having no background in filrnmakingand no n1oneyto make a filn,.

It is all themoreastoundingthen, that Vir's 87-minutewritinganddirectorial debut, Orders Fro111 Above, hasrackedup international awards at a staggering rate, mostrecentlywinningthreecategories, including Best flistory Fihn,attheCannes World Film Festival.

Vir'saward-winningspree n1arks a stratosphericrise fortheyoungSydneysider, but belies hishumblebeginningsin theworld offiln1. Havingstudied ayearofCommerce at UNSW,Virknewacorporatecareer wasn'tforhim,soheenrolledin aone-year Diplo1na ofScreenandMediaat theSydney Filn1 School. But, asSydneyentered athreemonthlockdown in March 2020,sotoowas Vir'senrolinentdelayed to July. Undeterred, Virdecided togive hiinselfahead start,and fulfilwhathad longbeen ad1·ean1ofhis: to write a scriptfora featurefilm

Virsettled on a storythatwasinteresting, yetpossible tobe shot in one ortwosimple indoorlocations: thetruestoryofthe interrogationofNaziwarcriminal,Adolf Eichmann,byIsraeli police. Once Sydney's restrictionseased, Virsnappedinto action to bringhisstorytolife,findingpassionate actors (RichardCotter,PeterDonnelly, Darrell Hoffn1anand Emn1anuel Drakakis) willingtoactforfree, borrowinganold camera, andbuyingan oldvoicerecording device whichVirwouldultimatelysellthe satnewayheboughtit: oneBay.

"Beingafanofhistory, the 1noral culpabilityofthe Holocaustand the banality ofevilwerethingsthatlingered inmy mind," saysVir. "Withoutmuchproduction value, and itbeingsetinonelocation and consistingofmostlydialogue,itwas important thatthe storybe strongenoughto engage audiences."

Virscoured throughhundreds ofpages ofofficialtranscripts fromIsraelipolice archives,withmuch ofthe dialogue fromthefilmtaken verbatimfromthe

List ofawardsfor OrdersFromAbove

CMANNHEIM ARTSAND FILM FESTIVAL

Winner Best History Film

CANNESWORLDFILMFESTIVAL

Winner Best Historical Film

Winner BestJewish FIim

Winner Best Black&WhiteFilm

Nominee BestBiographical Feature Film

Nominee Best FirstTime Filmmaker(Feature)

VENTOTENE FILM FESTIVAL Finalist

INTERNATIONALSYMBOLICART FILM FESTIVAL OfficialSelection transcripts. Even still, itonlytookhim one month towrite thescript,a featwhich beacknowledgedwas aidedbySydney's lockdown.

Then came perhaps an evenmoredifficult task: bringinghis debut script tolife, usingpockets oftimeafterschool and on weekends overthecourse oftwomonths. Thereweremanyobstacles in bisway, not the leastofallwere budgetary and, courtesy ofCOVID-19, movementconstraints.

"I filmedwitha 3-personcrewincluding myself, afriend'sold camera,onelensand nopracticallighting," saysVir.

Incredibly, theentire filmwas shotin just twolocations: afriend'ssmallstudio apartment, and a classroomatschool.

Despite all theconstraints,Yir's biggest challengewas hisnecessarilyverbose script. "Myactorsdidverywellinmemorisingthe long111onologuesofdetail, butto help them, I used h·ickslikehidingthe scriptinprops or somewhere on setforthemtouse as a reference," revealsVir.

Accolades

Oncethe ftlm was finished, Virentered variousfilmfestivals,despiteknowingthat hewouldnotbeable tophysicallyattend duetothepandemic.Theglobalsuccessof Orders FromAbovehas since surpassedeven Yir's ambitious expectations,havingpicked upawru·dsor nominationsatfourfestivals, includingCannesand Mannheim. Yirhas alsowrittena short film - TheProselytewhichhasalsobeennominated forseveral awards.

Vir'ssuccessis uniqueandgroundbreakingformanyreasons,includinghis Indianheritage. Speakingto the issueof diversityinAustralianmedia - atopicabout whichmuch bas beensaid and writtenover thelasttwoyears - Virseessomepositive signs, andsees bisownsuccessasevidence thattheindustryischangingforthe better. "Ithink the filmindustryisgettingbetterin termsofrecognisingthe talentthatpeople fromdifferentwalksoflifecanbringtothe table,"he notes. "I've seenafewavenues wherepeople from avarietyofbackgrounds andculturescan prove themselves and [ hopethattheindustrycontinues to encourage these voices."

Vir'sparents, Rohini and Krishna,are unsurprisinglyecstatic. "Tosaywe are proud would be a huge understatement," says Krishna. "We had no idea he had this kindoftalent in him. Westill need topinch ourselves sometimes".

Lookingforward,it isnotloston Vir thatayear has passedand at least from oneperspective, nothinghas changed.

"Now, as ifwe have comefullcircle, the filmiscompleteandwe are once again in lockdown," he muses. ButYir'sjourney is just beginning,withthe impressive 20-yearoldalreadyplanninganothershortfilm this year.

"Thefuture isuncertainbut I amgoing tocomn1it myselftothis careerandgiveit mybestshot," he concludes. "It's mygoalto makefilmsfull time."