Jainism in the United States

The Jains started arriving in significant numbers to the United States in the early 1970s. At the present time there are a number of Jain temples and institutions in the USA, and the number of Jains in America is probably greater than 100,000.

Even before this wave of immigration, there were two events that anticipated the future arrival of Jainism in the United States. The first was the construction of a "Jain temple" at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904-5. At that time, there were no Jains in the USA. After the fair, it was dismantled and rebuilt in Las Vegas, Nevada, only to be taken down in the 1960's. Now that Jains live in the USA, the remains of the building have been acquired by the [http://www.jaincenter.net/newsite/ Jain Society of Los Angeles] and it is being reassembled.

The second event was the arrival of Virachand Gandhi, who is considered the father of American Jainism.

Chronology

* 1850 - American Vegetarian Society established
* 1893 - Arrival of Virachand Gandhi to participate in Chicago's World Parliament of Religions
* 1904 - Jain Temple at St. Louis World's Fair
* 1944 - First Jain settlers in USA
* 1966 - Jain Center of America in New York established
* 1971 - Arrival of Shri Chitrabhanuji
* 1973 - Jain Center of Greater Boston established [ [http://www.jcgb.org/ Jain Center of Greater Boston] ]
* 1974 - Arrival of Muni Acharya Sushil Kumar
* 1981 - First Jain convention in Los Angeles
* 1983 - Formal organization of JAINA (Jain Associations in North America)
* 1990 - Temple Pratishtha, The Jain Sangh Cherry Hill, New Jersey
* 1990 - Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Metropolitan Washington [http://www.jainsocietydc.org/]
* 1991 - Founding of Siddhachalam, the Jain tirtha [ [http://www.siddhachalam.org/ Siddhachalam] ]
* 1993 - Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago [ [http://www.jsmconline.org/about_us.asp Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago] ]
* 1995 - Temple Pratishtha, Jain Center of Cincinnati and Dayton [http://www.jainworld.com/society/cindayton.htm]
* 1998 - Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Greater Detroit [http://www.jain-temple.org/]
* 1998 - Jain population in North America estimated to be about 75,000-85,000
* 2000 - Temple Pratishtha, Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) [http://www.jcnc.org/]
* 2000 - Jain Vishwa Bharati Orlando [http://www.jainvishwabharati.org]
* 2002 - Jain population estimated to be about 90,000-100,000

References

* "Jainism in America" Bhuvanendra Kumar. Benaras, Jain Humanities Press, 1996

External links

* [http://www.jaina.org/ Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA)]
* [http://www.pluralism.org/resources/tradition/essays/jain6.php Jain Immigration]
* [http://www.shubhlabh.net/usatemples.html Jain temples in the USA]
* [http://www.garamchai.com/jains.htm Jain mandirs in North America]
* [http://www.jaincenters.net/ Maps of Jain Temples in USA]

Jain centers

* [http://www.jaincenter.net/newsite/ Jain Center of Southern California] in Buena Park, California
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/sacramento.htm Jain Society of Greater Sacramento] in Sacramento, California
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/sandiego.htm Jain Society of San Diego] in San Diego, California
* [http://www.garamchai.com/jains.htm#COLORADO Jain Center of Greater Denver] in Arvada, Colorado
* [http://www.jaincenter-ct.org/ Jain Center of Greater Danbury] in Brookfield, Connecticut
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/ghartford.htm Jain Center of Greater Hartford] in Hartford, Connecticut
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/neflorida.htm Jain Association of Northeast Florida] in Jacksonville, Florida
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/sflorida.htm Jain Society of South Florida] in Miami, Florida
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/tampabay.htm Jain Society of Tampa Bay] in Tampa, Florida
* [http://www.jsne.org Jain Sangh of New England] in Woburn, Massachusetts
* [http://jain-temple.org/ Jain Society of Greater Detroit] in Farmington Hills, Michigan
* [http://www.jaincentermn.org/ Jain Center of Minnesota] in St. Paul, Minnesota
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/cdalbany.htm Jain Society of Capital District/ Albany] in Loudonville, New York
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/buffalo.htm Jain Community of Buffalo] in Getzville, New York
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/rochester.htm Jain Society of Rochester] in Pittsford, New York
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/syracuse.htm Jain Center of Syracuse] in Syracuse, New York
* [http://www.jainstudygroup.org/ Jain Study Center of Charlotte] in Charlotte, North Carolina
* [http://www.jainism.org/m3.html Jain Study Center of Raleigh] in Raleigh, North Carolina
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/tulsa.htm Tulsa Jain Association] in Tulsa, Oklahoma
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/oregon.htm Jain Society of Oregon] in Portland, Oregon
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/memphis.htm Jain Society of Memphis] in Memphis, Tennessee
* [http://www.jainworld.com/society/mtennessee.htm Jain Society of Middle Tennessee] in Nashville, Tennessee
* [http://jainsanghofgreateraustin.org/ Jain Association of Greater Austin] in Austin, Texas
* [http://jainsocietyseattle.com/ Jain Society of Seattle] in Bothell, Washington