Editor Carla Geerdes
The 'Oshwal Walkers U.K' of 2005 in front of the Jain temple at Potters Bar:
(from left) Kantilal Jesang Haria, Jayantilal Velji Dodhia, Shashi Premchand Shah, Rajnikant Bharmal Shah, Ashok Zaverchand Gudka, Laxmichand Hemraj Shah, Prabhulal Rayshi Malde (Shah), Nilesh Dhanraj Shah.
In the second row, Paresh Shah of khubi.com is seen; he has done invaluable service towards publicity for the walkers.
These people will start a charity walk of 270 km on 22nd October 2005. They will start from Jamnagar (Gujarat), and finish their walk at Palitana (Gujarat), one of the most sacred locations of Jain pilgrimage on hill's top, where 3600 steps have to be climbed to reach. The Jain temples at Palitana, dating from 11th to 20th century, are often seen as prayers in stone.
Ashok Z. Gudka (on the photo dressed for Pratishtha procession) is one of the walkers. Like editor Karuna Jain, he had participated in 2nd IPMC in Surat, Gujarat, where they first met. Since then, they are continuously in contact via emails, and met during Karuna Jain's visits to London. When she was at Potters Bar for Pratishtha Mahotsav, she was researching the story behind the walker's project.
All Oshwal Walkers UK (http://www.oshwalwalkers.org/) are born in Kenya, east Africa, where their parents had come to earn their living. They all might trace back their origins to one of the 52 villages the walkers will pass on their walk. Kanti Jesang Haria (photo) will go at the age of 71 already for his second walk. The first walk was in 1998.
Kanti lives since 1967 in London where he is still working in his kitchen fitting showroom in Wembley. On the day he had completed his 64th birthday, he read in a newspaper that three people intended to go on a charity walk in India, from Jamnagar to Palitana in Gujarat. He spontaneously decided to join them. After coming back, they had collected 76,000 pounds!
Many people were interested in their experiences, and this resulted in the idea, to start a second charity walk. Seven years later, eight people decided to join, and they are aiming at collecting 100,000 pounds! With the money, three charities will be supported,
- Diabetes UK
- Purchase of a day centre for elderly people
- Support for the Jain temple project at Potters Bar.
The collected summ will be splitted between these three charities. Detailed sponsor forms are on their website at sponsor form.
All fees for travel, food, and accomodation will be paid by each walker himself.
The donations were started by one of Kanti's customers; when she got to know about the charity walk project, she handed over a cheque on 270 pounds, one pound for each kilometer. The Oshwal Walkers UK are hoping for enough support to reach their aim.