Jain temple is Mumbai’s first religious place to open doors for vaccination drive

MUMBAI: The city’s fight against Covid-19 has got a shot in the arm with a Jain derasar becoming the first religious place to roll out the vaccination drive on its premises starting Tuesday.
The Jain temple at JB Nagar, Andheri east, has been converted into a full-fledged vaccination centre with CCTV cameras, refrigerators to store vaccine vials and rooms for doctors.The drive at the temple, listed as Tarunbharat Jain Mandir on the CoWin App, will be conducted by Seven Hills Hospital, reports Hemali Chhapia.
“The derasar will be open to vaccinate everyone, irrespective of caste, creed and religion; vaccination will be done as per MCGM directions,” said Jinesh Shah, a local resident who has been instrumental in initiating the process. “It’s about giving back to society for a larger cause,” added Shah. The move has encouraged other Jain temples too with the derasar in S ward, IIT market, also applying for permission to carry out immunisation.
Need more such centres, says local corporator
The managing committee of Kantinagar Shwetambar Murtipujak Tapagach Jain Sangh conceived the idea to offer the temple months ago and monks living in the residential space or upashray were informed about the plan. After committee members decided to set up the requisite infrastructure in the temple compound, the site was covered from top so that immunisation could go on smoothly even in the rains. “The temples have been closed for almost a year now. If it has the necessary space and other infrastructure to support the vaccination drive, then why not, since it’s for the benefit of society,” said secretary of the sangh, Sanjay Vora.
Corporator Jagdish Amin, who represents K east ward, praised the initiative. “We need more such centres,” he said.
As he looks forward to the temple bells pealing on Tuesday after several months, Shah prays they ring in good health and hope for Mumbaikars.