The girl who could inherit a multimillion-dollar diamond wealth became a nun.
An eight-year-old Indian girl who could inherit a multimillion-dollar diamond wealth became a nun after renounced worldly pleasures.
The girl was an heiress to the Sanghvi and Sons jewelry business in Surat, known as “Diamond City” for its gem trade.
Her family is Jain, a small but ancient Indian religion that promotes non-violence, strict vegetarianism, and love for all things.
According to local media, she was honored at a four-day ceremony this week, riding in an elephant-drawn carriage.
After having her hair cut, she went to a temple on Wednesday to exchange her expensive clothes for a white cotton one.
A witness at Wednesday’s ceremony told AFP on condition of anonymity that the girl was recognized in Surat’s Jain community for her piety as a toddler.
They said the girl regularly attended temple rites and never watched TV, movies, or went to malls or restaurants.
The child was the youngest to undergo the “diksha” process to become a Jain monk.
According to local media, her parents indicated she wanted to become a nun. Jain households may push their children to become monks to boost their social status.
According to Indian credit rating agency ICRA, her 1981-founded family firm is valued 5 billion rupees ($61m).
Many of India’s four million Jainists, like Sanghvi’s family, are wealthy traders.
Monks and nuns cover their lips with fabric to avoid eating insects and follow a vegetarian diet.
The religion’s harsh fasts to death have drawn criticism.
In 2016, a Hyderabad 13-year-old went into a coma and died while fasting for two months with only warm water.
Police charged her parents with manslaughter after public uproar over charges they coerced her into the fast.
