Acharya Mahapragya passes away in Churu

Acharya Sree Mahapragya, the 10th Acharya of Jain Swetambar Terapanth Samaj, died today due to cardiac arrest at Sardarshehar in Churu district of Rajasthan. He was 90. The funeral of Acharya Mahapragya will take place tomorrow in the town, an office bearer of the samaj said. The supreme head of Jain Swetambar Terapanth group, the Acharya, was resting when he suffered a cardiac arrest and died this afternoon at Terapanth ashram, they said. Rajkumar Pugalia, Coordinator of Acharya Tulsi Mahapragya Vichar Manch said over phone that the sect head was in Sardarshehar for past few days to deliver preachings. He informed that Yuvacharya Mahashraman of Sardarshehar has been declared as the next and 11th supreme head of the Terapanth group. The Acharya, who promoted non-violence and led the Ahimsa Yatra movement, was born on June 14, 1920 in Jhunjhunu district of the state. He traversed more than 1,00,000 kms on foot covering over 10,000 villages spreading the message of harmony and peace.

Prominent among the awards given to him during his lifetime were the Mother Teresa national award of peace (2005), Union Government's communal harmony award (2004), Ambassador of Peace Award in London (2003), Lokmaharishi by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (2003) and the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award (2002). Acting Governor Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Assembly Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat have condoled the death of Acharya Mahpragya. Mr. Patil said the Acharya was a great sage and philosopher who gave a new direction to Anuvrat movement and spread the message of non-violence through his Ahimsa Yatra.