Two minor girls who have been friends for over three years have chosen to follow the ascetic path in Surat.
The duo, who are 11 and 12 years old, will renounce the world and accept monkhood in February 2022. Before being chosen for diksha, both underwent two and a half years of rigorous training and walked more than 700 kilometres.
Aanshi Shah, the 12-year-old daughter of a city billionaire diamantaire, had dropped out of school when she was only eight years old. From a young age, the minor girl expressed interest in becoming a monk and began spending time with Jain monks in various locations. Aanshi has also walked several kilometres with other monks and has endured the arduous 30-day fast.
“I have enjoyed life. But I find real happiness, eace and unity with the monks. Hence, I decided to join them for the rest of my life,” said Aanshi
However, as she prepares to leave the materialistic world, her father, Dipak Shah, wishes to provide his daughter with worldly pleasures before she accepts the colourless life. Aanshi will be transported to Dubai by Shah. “I’d like to take her on a foreign trip at some point. I am honoured that my daughter has been chosen to be a monk “He stated.
Meanwhile, her friend Viha Shah (11) was conclusive when she told her parents about her decision to become a monk. She was adamant that she would take diksha this year, even though her parents tried to persuade her to wait a few years until she was older. On the same day as Viha, her father Shravak (45) and mother Sonal (43) will also renounce the world.
Viha, who loves to click and post photos on Instagram, passed several tough tests before being approved for diksha. Shravak was working in a diamond unit but had to quit job to prepare for Diksha and started following strict routines as per the guidance of senior monks.
“My son Kshama Shraman Vijayji Maharaj, now 18, took diksha when he was 13. He is an inspiration for all of us. We all have lived a materialistic life and wish to follow my son now,” said Sonal.