Virachand Raghavji Gandhi was a Jain scholar who represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893.
27 Facts About Virchand Gandhi
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Virchand Gandhi was born on 25 August 1864 in Mahuva near Bhavnagar, to Mahuva Nagar Sheth and Raghavji Tejpalji Virchand Gandhi.
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Virchand Gandhi continued his education at Elphinstone College, of the University of Bombay.
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Virchand Gandhi graduated with honors in 1884, having earned a bachelor's degree in law.
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Virchand Gandhi was a polyglot who spoke fourteen languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, English, Prakrit, Sanskrit, and French.
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Virchand Gandhi was a friend of Mahatma Virchand Gandhi, and joined Mahatma in his "experiments in dietetics".
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Virchand Gandhi helped Mahatma in the latter's struggle to establish a legal practice.
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Virchand Gandhi fought to close a pig slaughterhouse that had been started in 1891 close to Mount Shikharji, a holy place of Jain pilgrimage.
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Virchand Gandhi spent six months in Calcutta learning Bengali and preparing his case against the slaughterhouse.
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Virchand Gandhi was eventually successful in getting the slaughterhouse closed.
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Virchand Gandhi represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in 1893.
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Atmaram recommended Virchand Gandhi to go in his stead and serve as the emissary for the religion.
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Virchand Gandhi received a positive response at the Parliament and was asked to deliver more lectures.
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Virchand Gandhi ultimately stayed two years in the US and one year in the UK Virchand Gandhi went outside India to promote Jain values on two other occasions, and is known for giving about 535 lectures on Jainism and having attracted followers from outside India to Jainism.
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Virchand Gandhi was a contemporary to Swami Vivekanand, who deeply admired him.
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Virchand Gandhi faced criticism over his sea voyage, which was at the time considered unholy.
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Herbert Warren, who studied Jainism under Virchand Gandhi and adopted the Jain religion, published a book on Virchand Gandhi's lectures titled Herbert Warren's Jainism.
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Virchand Gandhi had studied Buddhism, Vedanta Philosophy, Christianity, and western philosophy.
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Virchand Gandhi praised Mogul Emperor Akbar for his equal treatment of all religions.
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Virchand Gandhi propagated the relevance of Jain tenets and Mahavira's message of nonviolence.
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Virchand Gandhi delivered about 535 speeches on Jainism, other religions, and social and cultural lives in India, all of which received wide publication.
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Virchand Gandhi was invited two more times, first in 1897, and then in 1899 to the West.
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Virchand Gandhi founded Virchand Gandhi Philosophical Society and the Society for the Education of Women in India.
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Virchand Gandhi participated in Pune session of Indian National Congress in 1895 as a representative of Bombay state, and lectured on Indian politics and industry in Large Hall of William Science building on 19 December 1898.
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Virchand Gandhi participated at the International Conference of Commerce in 1899 and represented Asia.
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Virchand Gandhi settled tax disputes of Palitana and Shikharji piggery case.
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Virchand Gandhi died at the age of thirty-six of haemorrhaging of the lungs on 7 August 1901 at Mahuwar, near Mumbai, India.