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Abhay Prabhavana - A Museum of Timeless alues Iby nspired by Jainism Abhay Prabhavana – A Museum of Timeless Values V Inspired Jainism By Manish Mehta, Ph.D.
Manish Mehta
Manish Mehta is an engineering consultant in sustainable manufacturing settled in Ann Arbor, MI, USA, and is active with JAINA’s Diaspora, Academic Liaison and Long-Range Planning committees. He was born in Rajasthan, schooled in East Africa, India and Singapore, and arrived in the US in 1985 as a graduate student at University of Cincinnati, OH. He was a Pathshala teacher at Jain Center of Cincinnati-Dayton (1985-88) and later at Jain Society of Greater Detroit, where he is a Lifetime member and a JAINA Director since 2004.
Abhay Prabhavana is a must-visit Museum of Timeless Values – it is one of Asia’s largest cultural centers and provides humanity with a tranquil space for learning, exploration, and reflection. The Grand Opening ceremony and inauguration of the Abhay Prabhavana – conceived as a “Museum of Ideas,” as our faith’s first and only museum highlighting timeless Jain beliefs, values and way of life – was held on 5th November 2024 near Pune, India. The Museum is the brainchild of Dr. Abhay Firodia and was planned as an undertaking of the Firodia Institute of Philosophy, Culture and History (FIPCH), a not-for-profit established by Amar Prerana Trust.
Abhay Prabhavana is the largest museum of concepts and ideas dedicated to Jain philosophy and its influence on Dharmic Indian heritage. It is an architecturally and aesthetically stunning complex located at Parvadi village approximately 50 km (~30 miles) from Pune city, off the Mumbai-Pune highway. The mega donut-shaped circular structure with a majestic Manstambh tower in the center has been constructed to high sustainability standards (LEED certification in process) to make for a serene campus of 162 acres on the scenic banks of the Indrayani River. The constructed area is nearly 50 acres for the Museum, with 20 acres landscaped, and the entire project was completed at a cost of ₹400 crore over a period of ten years in consultation with Jain scholars, thought leaders, artists, and facilitators. The elegant two-hour opening ceremony was presided over by Shri Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister of Surface
Transportation, Govt. of India), and attended by Jain spiritual leaders and dignitaries, including several JAINA leaders and representatives, namely Drs Manoj and Sunita Jain, Yogendra Jain, Prem Jain and Dipak Doshi (all members of Long-Range Planning Committee), and Atul Shah (First Vice-President of JAINA and Convenor of 2025 JAINA Convention).
JAINA attendees at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Museum
As a JAINA representative and advisor to the curator Ms. Aarti Bapat on Jain diaspora matters, I too had the unique opportunity to preview and experience the Abhay Prabhavana Museum on 19th October 2024 with the accompaniment of curators and senior staff, while the entire facility was buzzing with activity and energy, and final preparations were progressing for the grand opening in November. I was toured throughout the museum by FIPCH staff Dr. Naveen Srivastav (Assistant Curator), Ms. Ruchi Gandhi (Head-Visitor Experience), and Mr. Abhijeet Dhumal (Head of Hospitality). On 20th October, I was warmly hosted by FIPCH Founder Dr. Abhay Firodiaji, who enthusiastically shared his motivations and passion for disseminating our Jain teachings and values with the world. Dr. Firodia is a respected patriarch in the lineage of Firodia family 29