The new $20-million Jain temple complex, celebrating a religion that promotes nonviolence and vegetarianism, and shares with Hinduism the concepts of nirvana and reincarnation, is expected to attract pilgrims and scholars worldwide.

The temple opened last weekend after 11 days of dancing, worship and theatre organized by the 1,500-member community, topped off by a parade and sacred ceremony to install 47 marble idols in their new home. Twenty-four of the statues, which Jains worship, represent people who attained enlightenment through repeated reincarnation.

Today, most Jains, like those in South Florida, want a center to lead a more spiritual life, interact with people like themselves and pass the religion onto their children.

The three-day event that began Friday was the 14th biennial convention of JAINA – Federation of Jain Associations in North America – and the broad theme of the convention was “Peace through Dialogue”.

SHRAVANABELAGOLA: When he was 18, maths student Prayant Sagar discarded his blue jeans to listen to his "inner call" and become a naked Hindu monk.