With deep sorrow and heavy heart, we would like to inform that Gurudev Chitrabhanuji at age 97 left his body in a peaceful state in the early morning of Friday, April 19th, 2019 - Chaitri Punam day in Mumbai, India and Jain Community lost a divine soul. He was surrounded by his family.

JSMW Sangh prayers will be held on April 21, 10:30 AM sharp at Cloverly Elementary school gym.

Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji’s association with our Sangh is long and memorable. 

In 1977, soon after arriving in the U.S., his first visit to Washington area was at the residence of Late Shri Ramniklal Sanghvi in Dodge Park, MD. This was even before our Jain society was established!  With his inspiration Jain Society in Washington was established in 1980.

His support and love for our members was well known. In 1981, Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji conducted the first Jain camp in North America for the members of JSMW in Emmitsburg, MD. This tradition of yearly off-site camps for adults and children continued at the same location until 1993. The members of JSMW had the privilege to listen to his spiritual discourses on various topics for three summers during that time.

With the popularity his camps and to listen to his discourses, in 1983 over 100 people from New York decided to join the ever popular camps in Emmitsburg, MD.  The Jain community considered attending his camps as an opportunity to be able to stay close to him, catch his vibrations and learn from such pious individual. As we all know, he observed monkhood for over 40 years!

Gurudev’s followers are spread across all continents and follow him since early seventies. New York Times in its dispatch on December 13, 1973 described him as Pope John of Jainism because like the late John XXII, Chitrabhanuji had opened the windows of his faith ‘to let the fresh air in’.  He also delivered the opening prayer, an unprecedented recognition and honor, in the U.S. House of Representatives on Capitol Hill.

Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji visited our Sangh many times over the last four decades. During his most recent visit, he politely returned his honorarium of $501 and donated back to the Jain Society towards building our new Jain Temple. He is our first donor for the new Jain Temple!        

Our heartfelt tribute to Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji.