Diamond heiress to plastic baron — the daily lives of Jain monks & nuns who gave it all up

Monastic life involves walking barefoot, eating a meal a day, & staying away from electricity & modern tech. Goal is to attain moksha from endless cycle of rebirth.

Sadhvi Pragya Shree, 9, who was previously diamond heiress Devanshi Sanghvi, replies to her teacher during her lessons, in Surat | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Surat/Girnar/Somnath/Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Jain religion has an age-old practice of Bal diksha whereby children — sometimes as young as 8 years — leave behind the material world to become monks or nuns, in pursuit of the spiritual goal to attain moksha (salvation) from the endless cycle of rebirth.

The monastic life involves walking barefoot, eating one meal a day, and staying away from electricity and modern technology.

According to the Pew Research Centre, the vast majority of the Jain community belong to affluent families. So, when their children relinquish the material world, it usually means leaving behind secured family enterprises. The lives of most young Jain monks and nuns from Surat have a fascinating back story, as it often means turning away from the diamond business.

ThePrint national photo editor Praveen Jain followed the lives of a few Jain sadhus and sadhvis, most of them from diamond trading families in Surat, to get a closer view of the monastic life. He also tracked the life of Jain children who are undergoing training to check if they are eligible to take the vows of renunciation in the future.

Sadhvi Pragya Shree studying a text about Jain religious beliefs | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A senior sadhvi helps Sadhvi Pragya Shriji get dressed in plain white robes | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A Jain nun with Sadhvi Pragya Shriji, who embraced the monastic life last month | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Pragya Shree in a joyous mood after reading Jain religious beliefs | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Viranshi Rekha, 13, used to sport hair highlights and made over 2,000 reels in a year’s time before she gave up the material world to become a Jain nun | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Tatwatri Rekha, 20, wipes the floor after Sadhvi Viranshi Rekha, 13, is done eating her meal | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Asangpragnya, 29, discusses a Jain religious text with another nun at an upashray (a resting place for monks and nuns) in Surat | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Tathayprgnya Shriji, 30, seen in a cheerful mood as she briefly interacts with a senior nun during her lesson at an upashray in Surat | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Nisangpragnya Shriji, 22, removes the lid of her water container — one of the few belongings that Jain monks and nuns keep with them | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Devanshi Rekha, 45, with her daughter Sadhvi Viranshi Rekha, 13, at an upashray in Junagadh. Before becoming a monk, Sadhvi Viranshi Rekha used to be a fan of K-pop group BTS and loved making Instagram reels | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A group of sadhvis go about with their daily chores | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A group of Jain sadhvis painting bowls which they use to collect food from door to door | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Pararth Rekha (right) along with Sadhvi Tatwatri Rekha on the road after collecting food (bhiksha), in Junagadh | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Pararth Rekha, a 21-year old Jain nun, was 12 years when she decided to enter Jain monastic life | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Pararth Rekha returns after collecting food for a group of 11 Jain nuns, in Junagarh | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhu Bhagyaratna, 18, walking along with Sadhu Somyang Ratnavir, 40, who became a Jain monk 17 years ago | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhu Bhagyaratna Vijay (in the centre), 18, walks with two brothers, Reek 18 (Left) and Varsham Jain 16, who are undergoing training to become Jain monks, in Chodwar town | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhu Bhagyaratna Vijay with a Jain monk who is using a wheelchair to carry his belongings. Elderly or injured monks use such assistance to recover from their conditions, without stalling the Vihar | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A group of Jain ascetics, which includes Sadhu Bhavyaratha Vijayi (in front), who was previously known as Bhanwarlal Doshi before he gave up his Rs 600-crore plastic business in 2015, passes through a street during their vihar in Chodwar | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sadhvi Tatwatri Rekha offering prayers to the Jain deity wrapped in clothes and rested of a tiny stand | Praveen Jain |The Print

Varsham Jain (on the left) sits on the side as monks rest at the house of a devotee. The 16-year old is undergoing training to see if he’s suited to become a monk | Praveen Jain | ThePrint