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made initial article first draft

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{{Short description|21st century Indian Jain ascetic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| honorific prefix = Acharya
| honorific suffix = Maharaj Saheb
| religion = [[Jainism]]
| sect = [[Śvetāmbara]]
| father = Shri Chaganrajji Bagrecha
| mother = Shrimati Suadevi Bagrecha
| birth_date = April 23, 1966
| birth_place = [[Hiriyur]], [[Karnataka]]
| initiator = Acharya Padmasagarsuri
| image = Acharya Vimalsagarsuri 1.jpg
| caption = Acharya Vimalsagarsuri
| birth_name = Indrakumar Bagrecha
}}
{{Jainism}}
'''Vimalsagarsuri''' is an eminent and popular Jain monk and [[Acharya (Jainism)|Acharya]] of the [[Tapa Gaccha]] of the [[Śvetāmbara]] sect of [[Jainism]]. He belongs to the lineage of [[Buddhisagarsuri|Acharya Buddhisagarsuri]].

== Early life ==
Acharya Vimalsagarsuri was born on April 23, 1966, in [[Hiriyur]], [[Karnataka]] into an [[Oswal|Oswal Jain]] family, to Suadevi Bagrecha and Chaganrajji Bagrecha. In terms of formal education, he dropped out of school after passing the 8th grade. He displayed an interest in learning and mastering multiple languages including [[Hindi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Sanskrit]], [[Prakrit]], [[English language|English]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], and [[Rajasthani languages|Rajasthani]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jain |first=Manoj |title=Shrutsagar Ank 2007 03 012 |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/525262/78 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref>

== Initiation and ascetic life ==
At the age of 16, Vimalsagarsuri was initiated as a [[Jain monk]] in a ceremony held on April 19, 1982, in [[Chennai]]. He was initiated by Acharya Padmasagarsuri of the [[Buddhisagarsuri|Buddhisagarsuri ''Samudaay'']] of the [[Tapa Gaccha]] of [[Śvetāmbara|Śvetāmbara Jains]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Doshi |first=Hiren K |title=Shrutsagar 2014 12 Volume 01 07 |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/525296/31 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref>
On December 1, 2014, he was consecrated as an [[Acharya (Jainism)|Acharya]] after 22 years of monkhood in a ceremony held at the [[Nakodaji|Nakodaji Shwetambar Jain Tirth]].<ref name=":0" /> He has delivered over 6,000 discourses and has a large number of young followers. He usually uses [[Hindi]] as the medium of instruction in his sermons to reach a larger audience. He revived the ancient [[Jainism|Jain]] practices of different types of [[meditation]] and also created the ''Shri [[Ghantakarna Mahavir|Ghantakarna]] Mahayantram, Shri Manibhadra Mahayantram, Shri Parshva Padmavati Mahayantram'' and ''Shrut Devi Yantram ,'' which, according to [[Jain scriptures]], are important objects of meditation. He is particularly popular among [[Śvetāmbara|Śvetāmbara Jains]] for his yearly 5-day-long ''Shrut Sadhna'' (meditation for knowledge).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-19 |title=ध्यान व मंत्रजप जीवन की उन्नति के श्रेष्ठ मार्ग: आचार्य विमलसागर {{!}} Meditation is the best ways of progress in life |url=https://www.patrika.com/bangalore-news/meditation-is-the-best-ways-of-progress-in-life-8382109 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Patrika News |language=hi}}</ref>

In his ascetic life, he is said to have learned several [[Jain literature|canonical and non-canonical Jain scriptures]], as well as scriptures of other faiths before becoming an [[Acharya (Jainism)|''Acharya'']]. Afterward, he also consecrated several temples and idols. Due to his efforts, [[Haribhadra Suri]]'s ''Samarditya Mahakatha,'' which was only available in [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] in addition to its originally language, was translated and presented in [[Hindi]] for the first time to reach a larger audience.<ref name=":0" />

== Social initiatives ==
Acharya Vimalsagarsuri has undertaken extensive ''padayatras (walks)'', covering approximately 70,000 kilometers across [[Western India]] and [[South India]], mainly in the states of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Goa]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Gujarat]], and [[Rajasthan]]. The purpose of these walks is to reach out to communities far and wide to spread the message of [[Jainism]]. The other means he uses include transformation camps, awakening seminars, children's development workshops, family counseling sessions, and spiritual knowledge seminars.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hM-YDvtoS4 |title=Youths Seminar : Youth is Strength : Aacharya Vimalsagarsuriji |date=2022-07-22 |last=Aacharya Vimalsagarsuriji |access-date=2024-05-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-01 |title=आचार्य श्री विमलसागर महाराज सूरी के सानिध्य में डॉ कल्याण गंगवाल की पुस्तक सुखी जीवन का आधार शाकाहार का विमोचन किया गया - Jansamachar24 |url=https://jansamachar24.com/?p=28434 |access-date=2024-05-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Acharya Vimalsagarsuri 2.jpg|thumb|Acharya Vimalsagarsuri Maharaja]]

He is known for actively promoting interfaith harmony through his speeches and sermons, which he has delivered in various settings, including mosques, [[Hindu temple]]s, and public gatherings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahalaxmi |first=Channel |date=2021-03-27 |title=सेलम में धर्म-जागरण : क्रांतिकारी ओजस्वी प्रवचनकार आचार्य श्री विमलसागरसूरीश्वरजी महाराज |url=https://www.channelmahalaxmi.com/vimal-sagar-surishwarji/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Channel Mahalaxmi |language=en-US}}</ref> He has been invited as a guest by Buddhist and Sikh scholars at their events. He has also voiced strong support for initiation into the Jain faith as a monk, describing it as an "ideological revolution."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-18 |title=जैन दीक्षा वैचारिक क्रांति का मार्ग: विमलसागर सूरी {{!}} Jain Diksha Path to Ideological Revolution: Vimalasagar Suri |url=https://www.patrika.com/bangalore-news/jain-diksha-path-to-ideological-revolution-vimalasagar-suri-5662539 |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Patrika News |language=hi}}</ref> In addition to raising awareness about India's history and heritage,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-05 |title=युवाओं को देश का वास्तविक इतिहास पढ़ाया जाए: आचार्य विमलसागर {{!}} The youth should be taught the real history of the country: Acharya |url=https://www.patrika.com/bangalore-news/the-youth-should-be-taught-the-real-history-of-the-country-acharya-8354272 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Patrika News |language=hi}}</ref> he advocates for safeguarding the interests of the [[Jain communities|Jain community]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=जैन समाज के हितों की रक्षा के लिए सभी जरूरी कदम उठाएं. |url=https://shantivallabhtimes.blogspot.com/2021/02/blog-post_4.html |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=जैन समाज के हितों की रक्षा के लिए सभी जरूरी कदम उठाएं.}}</ref> Acharya Vimalsagarsuri is also among the few [[Jain monasticism|Jain monks]] who have delivered sermons to prostitutes, encouraging them to leave their profession and pursue a better life.

== Sources ==

* Devluk,Nandlal B.2010. Vishwa Ajayabi Jain Shraman. Arihant Prakashan.
* Devluk,Nandlal B.2008. Jinshasan na Zalhlta Nakshatro.Arihant Prakashan.

== See also ==
* [[Buddhisagarsuri]]
* [[Vimalsuri]]
* [[Kalapurnasuri]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{YouTube|h=AacharyaVimalsagarsuriji}}

{{Jain Gurus}}
{{Jainism topics}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Indian Jain writers]]
[[Category:Prakrit literature]]
[[Category:Indian Jain monks]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian Jains]]
[[Category:21st-century Jain monks]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian monks]]
[[Category:Śvetāmbara monks]]
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Vimalsagarsuri - Revision history

VenettaMahan1: made initial article first draft