Jainism in the United States

In 1893, Virachand Gandhi became the first Jain delegate to visit the United States, representing Jainism in the first ever Parliament of World Religions. As the first practicing Jain to speak publicly in the United States on Jainism, he is a key figure in the history of American Jainism. Jain immigration began in earnest in the late 1960s after the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965. The United States has since become a center of the Jain diaspora. , Hewivitarne Dharmapala, Swami Vivekananda, and (possibly) G. Bonet Maury The first former Jain monastic to travel to the United States, Chitrabhanu, arrived in 1971. He gave several lectures about Jainism at Harvard University and established a Jain center in New York City. The first monk who traveled outside India by use of mechanical means was Acharya Sushil Kumar who arrived in the United States in 1975. He established multiple Jain centers, including International Mahavira Jain Mission popularly known as Siddhachalam. In the 1980s, he and Chitrabhanu inspired the founding of Federation of Jain Associations in North America to support the Jain community in the United States and Canada. ==Jain sects==

According to The Pluralism Project at Harvard University, "Most American Jains agree that the sectarian streams of Jainism that have been significant in India for 2,000 years are fast losing their currency in 20th century America...The sectarian divisions of the Jain tradition have been left behind as Jain Americans concentrate on the difficult task of appropriating the tradition in a new environment." As noted below, many Jain temples in the United States contain images from both the Digambara and Śvētāmbara traditions. Jain conventions and gatherings in America feature teachings from both sects. ==Federation of Jain Associations in North America and Siddhachalam ==

Jain center at New Jersey. Images of the tirthankaras Mahavira, Chandraprabha, Rishabha, Shantinatha and Parshvanatha. The Federation of Jain Associations in North America is an umbrella organization of local American and Canadian Jain congregations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism and the Jain way of life. Siddhachalam in New Jersey is the first pilgrimage site for Jains outside India, bringing together all Jains in one place for worship, study and reflection. Jain symbols The Federation of Jain Associations in North America uses a modified version of the standard Jain symbol, the Jain emblem. It replaces the swastika with an om because the former is not considered a pious symbol in the western world. == Jain studies==

Florida International University hosts the Bhagwan Mahavir Professorship in Jain Studies, the first Jain Studies chair at a North American university. In 2016, the Jain Society and Rice University signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a post-doctoral fellowship in Jain studies. ==American Jain centers==

:Category:Jain temples in the United States The Jain Center of America was the first Jain center in the United States. It opened in New York City in 1982. Since then, over 100 Jain centers and temples have opened in America. Most Jain centers are complexes that include a main temple housing Digambara and Śvētāmbara images, libraries, meeting rooms, guest rooms, and so forth. Arizona • Jain Center of Greater Phoenix California • Jain Center of Northern California • Jain Center of Southern California • Jain Center of Greater Sacramento • Jain Society of San Diego • Jain Center Of Los Angeles Colorado • Jain Samaj of Colorado, Denver Connecticut • Jain Center of Connecticut Florida • Jain Vishwa Bharati of USA, Orlando, Florida • Jain Society Inc. of Tampa Bay • Jain Society of Central Florida, Inc. • Jain Center of South Florida • Jain Association of North East Florida Georgia • Augusta Jain Community • Jain Society of Greater Atlanta Illinois • Jain Society of Metro Chicago Indiana • Jain Center of Central Indiana Kansas • Kansas City Jain Sangh Kentucky • Jain Temple of Louisville Louisiana • Jain Center of Northwest Louisiana Maryland • Jain Society of Metro Washington Massachusetts • Jain Sangh of New England, Burlington, Massachusetts • Jain Center of Greater Boston, Norwood, Massachusetts Michigan • Jain Society of Greater Detroit, Inc. • Jain Society of Greater Lansing Minnesota • Jain Center of Minnesota Missouri • Jain Center of Greater St. Louis Nevada • Jain Center of Las Vegas New Jersey • Jain Center of New Jersey • Jain Sangh of Atlantic City - NJ • The Jain Sangh Inc. NJ (Cherry Hill Jain Sangh) • Jain Vishwa Bharti, Iselin, New Jersey • Siddhachalam, New Jersey New York (Paryushana) celebrations at the Jain Center of America, Queens, New York City, the oldest Jain temple in the Western Hemisphere • Jain Center of America • Jain Community of Buffalo • Jain Sangh of Hudson Valley • Jain Society of Capitol District-Albany • Jain Samaj of Long Island, NY • Jain Temple of New York North Carolina • Jain Center of Greater Charlotte • Jain Study Center of N. Carolina Ohio • Jain Center of Central Ohio, Columbus • Jain Center of Cincinnati/Dayton • Jain Society of Greater Cleveland • Jain Society of Toledo Oklahoma • Tulsa Jain Sangh Pennsylvania • Jain Center of Allentown • Jain Samaj of South Central PA • Jain Society of Pittsburgh • Samarpan Jain Sangh Philadelphia Tennessee • Jain Society of Middle Tennessee Texas • Jain Society of Houston • Jain Society of N. Texas/Dallas • Jain Sangh of Greater Austin TX • Siddhayatan Virginia • Jain Society of Central Virginia - Richmond • Jain Temple of Virginia Washington • Jain Society of Seattle • Jain Center of Washington Wisconsin • Jain Religion Center of Wisconsin ==Gallery==

File:Jain Center of Central Ohio Columbus Ohio USA.jpg|Jain Center of Central Ohio, Columbus, Ohio File:Greater Baltimore Hindu-Jain Temple 05.jpg|Greater Baltimore Jain Temple File:Siddhachalam1.jpg|Main shrine at Siddhachalam Jain Center, New Jersey File:NY temple2.jpg|Jain Center of America in New York City with images of Tirthankaras File:Jain Temple -01 by Jain Center of Greater Phoenix (JCGP).jpg|Manastambha at Jain Center of Greater Phoenix File:JCGP Temple (2).png|Rishabhantha idol at Jain Center of Greater Phoenix File:JCGP Temple (1).png|Mahavira idol at Jain Center of Greater Phoenix File:Lord Adinath JCNJ.jpg|Adinatha at the Franklin Township Derasar File:Garbha Graha, JCNJ.jpg|Main vedi at the Franklin Township Derasar File:Goddesss JCNJ.jpg|Idol of Devi at the Franklin Township Derasar File:Namokar Mantra JCNJ.jpg|Namokar Mantra at Terapanti shrine of Franklin Township Derasar ==Notable Jain Americans==