Betul woman who cleared civil judge exam to take Jain diksha with four others on November 22

A rare sight greeted Betul town in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, November 1, when a large rally was taken out in honour of five sisters who are about to take Jain diksha. Residents had seldom seen such a blend of faith, devotion and renunciation in the town.

One of the five is Betul's daughter Prakharshree, known as a pride of the town and as a brahmacharini. Her story has drawn attention because she has chosen the path of renunciation even after setting out on the road to becoming a judge.

Prakharshree won a gold medal in LLM and also pursued higher studies at the London School of Economics. In 2023, she cleared the highly demanding civil judge examination.

It is said that she sat for and passed the judge's exam to fulfil her parents' wish, but the seeds of renunciation had been sown in her mind since childhood. She is firmly convinced that far more service can be done by following Lord Mahavir's path of non-violence and restraint than she could have done as a lawyer or judge. With this conviction, she decided to give up worldly pleasures.

The event was held with the support of the Betul Sakal Jain Samaj. A well-known band from Udaipur in Rajasthan, a decorated royal buggy and vintage cars were the centre of attention in the rally. Thousands of devotees who came from far and wide joined the procession, which was taken out with a band, and the whole town witnessed the occasion.

When the rally reached the Jain Dadawadi, the traditional godbharai ceremony was held for the five sisters who will take diksha. Prakharshree, Rangoli and the other three sisters will take diksha on November 22. Until now the young women wore coloured clothes, but after diksha they will wear white, regarded as a symbol of restraint.

The decision of these young women, who have left material pleasures for the path of spiritual welfare, is being widely discussed across the country these days.