Param Pujya Ganini Pramukh Shri Gyanmati Mata Ji
Brief Introduction
Daughter `Maina’ was born to Smt. Mohini Devi, the wife of Shri Chhote Lal Jain of Tikaitnagar at Barabanki district of U.P. as the first issue at 9.15 P.M. of Ashwin Shukla Poornima (Sharad Poornima) i.e. 22nd October of the year 1934.
On account of the spirits of previous birth and the hard struggle of the present, Maina left home in 1952 and in the year 1953, she took Kshullika Deeksha from Acharya Shri Deshbhushan Ji Maharaj.
In the year 1956, she became `Gyanmati Mataji’ by taking Aryika Deeksha from Acharya Shri Veersagar Ji Maharaj, the first disciple (Pattadhish Acharya) of Charitra Chakravarti Shri Shantisagar Ji Maharaj, the first Acharya of the 20th century.
Realizing the importance of her great worldwide activities, vast literary writing, socially- beneficial inspirations etc. Jain Samaj and various Acharyas have honoured her by conferring various titles such as Ganini Pramukh, Charitra Chandrika, Yug Pravartika, Vatsalyamoorti, Vagdevi, Rashtra Gaurav etc.
Besides these, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University-Faizabad (U.P.) and Teerthankar Mahaveer University (TMU)-Moradabad (U.P.) have dignified themselves by presenting the honorary degrees of D.Litt. to her in the years 1995 & 2012 respectively.
Pujya Mataji has completed the Sanskrit Teeka (explanatory note) of the Sutras of the sixteen books of Shatkhandagam Grantha, the 2000 years ancient Jain Scripture along with writing about 300 Jain Books.
She herself used to say that I have crowned my spiritual life by doing the Sanskrit Teeka of the sixteen books of Shatkhandagam. Along with it, Pujya Mataji is always having the determination for the renovation and development of the forgotten birthplaces of Tirthankar Bhagwants.
Her tireless efforts for establishing the ancientness of Jain Religion, worldwide publicity of Bhagwan Rishabhdev, eradication of the misconceptions about Jainism in the school text-books etc. are well introductory about her specific intellect.
A number of Jain Pilgrimages-Hastinapur, Prayag, Kundalpur (Nalanda), Ayodhya, Kakandi etc. have been developed by the inspiration of Pujya Mataji in very magnificient way. Simultaneously, the wonder of the entire world i.e. 108 Ft. high idol of Bhagwan Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankar of the present era, is being constructed at Mangitungi (Maha.).
Such a miraculous personality, the guardian of ancient Aarshmarg and depicting the flawless tradition of the first Digambar Jainacharya of the 20th century Charitra Chakravarti Shri Shantisagar Ji Maharaj (South), the Supreme Sadhvi of Jain Samaj, Pujya Ganini Pramukh Aryika Shiromani Shri Gyanmati Mataji may provide her patronage and shelter to all of us for the ages to come, is the only sincere wish.
