The Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), representing nearly 150,000 Jains living in the USA and Canada through 67 Jain Associations all over North America, celebrated its 15th Biennial JAINA Convention during the July 4th weekend (July 2–5) at the Jain Center of Southern California's newly renovated Jain Bhavan in Los Angeles. Their 62,000 sq ft cultural complex and adjacent 13,000 sq ft temple proved to be a highly spiritual backdrop for the 2,500 attendees of this year's convention.
A Gujarati play SIDDH HEM was the most eagerly awaited item at the convention. It was a world premiere of the play. Also a historic moment for Gujarati Rangbhoomi that a major Gujarati play produced in India by an Indian team performed in USA before any show in India. This play was specially brought from Mumbai by the team that two years ago had performed APURVA AVSAR, based on the life of Shrimad Raj Chandra, at the 2007 JAINA Convention.
SIDDH HEM play is based on the life of Acharya Hemchandracharya who wrote 3.5 million slokas in his lifetime about 800 years ago — Yog Shastra, Vitrag Sutra, Trishashti Shalaka Purush, Dwayashraya, in Sanskrit and also in Prakrit.
It is impossible to imagine the Gujarati language without Hemchandracharya's creations of so many of its components. He regularized the Gujarati language by authoring the first grammar, Siddhem Shabdanushasan, as well as Chhandshastra and Alankar Shastra.
The two hour play became the most talked about item of the convention and over 8 invitations were extended to the team to perform in various cities in America during the next month and a half.