East

The fund raising schemes have now been in operation since March 2004. Up to now other events, such as the Paryushan Festival (Sept 2004), had overshadowed the real fund raising efforts that need to be made in all the Areas on an individual basis. The Paryushan Festival is now over and we are proud to say that all the Areas did work very hard on the eight days to promote the various fund raising schemes that are in operation.

The Fund Raising Sub-Committee and the Deraser Project Sub-Committee have identified 108 different items (listed below) for which inauguration ceremonies can be performed by the members and devotees.

LIST OF ITEMS FOR "TOKEN SCHEME" 

54 "OTLAS"  (To be built around the trees representing the villages of Halar)

6 WALKWAYS

8 PILLARS / COLUMNS

1 DOME

2 ELEPHANTS

21 BENCHES

• These inauguration ceremonies will be offered in a draw. Tokens for this draw can be purchased by the members and devotees.
• Each token costs £108.00.
• The number of tokens is numbered to 10,800. This means that there is a 1 in 100 opportunity for being selected to perform one of the 108 inauguration ceremonies.
• The date for the draw to select the winners to perform the various ceremonies will be on 8^th June 2005 and all winners will be contacted thereafter.
• Each winner, and his or her family, will have the chance to perform an auspicious ceremony to inaugurate the item for which they have been selected. e.g. A winner may have the opportunity to inaugurate ONE of the NINE Fountains in the Deraser complex or one of the TWO statues of the Lions or one of the TWO statues of the Elephants etc.
• Each winner of an opportunity to perform the inauguration ceremonies shall be required to pay the Association a sum of £151.25 as a NAKRO (fixed amount for religious ceremony/pooja performance).
• In view of the speed with which the work on the Deraser is progressing the closing date for this scheme has been brought forward to 31st May 2005.

• Each Car Park Space can be dedicated to an individual or a family by payment of a fixed amount as a donation.
• The amount payable per parking space is£1,008.00 and is to be paid in one lump sum.
• Appropriate permanent acknowledgement shall be made of the donor(s).
• The size of the wording of the acknowledgement may be restricted where considered appropriate by the Fund Raising Sub-Committee.
• All donations/payments received by 31^st May 2005 will be acknowledged together in an aliphatic order. Pledges after 31^st May 2005 will be acknowledged at a later date as we will need to order special granite plaques from India.

•   A majority of the members of the Association still retain a very strong link, in some form or another, with the village where they have their ancestral roots.
• As part of the Deraser Project 54 trees (or more) will planted to represent the 54 villages (it has been now established that there are actually 54 or more villages even though we have always called them "Bavan Gam") in the Halar District of Jamnagar, India.
• Each tree will have an "Otlo" (a round concrete flat seating type structure) around each tree.
• Individuals or families can have a "Takti" with their name acknowledging their links with a particular village.
• Each "Takti" can only have a maximum of 27 letters including any spaces.
• In the event the name that an individual or a family wishes to include on the "Takti" has more than 27 characters (including the spaces), we recommend that they purchase separate Taktis for each 27 characters block. All such taktis will be then grouped and placed together in an appropriate manner to ensure continuity and proper flow in the name or names.
• Similarly if any family wishes to have names of more than one individual in the family acknowledged, then they will have to take up a separate "Takti" for EACH individual whose name has to be acknowledged. All such Taktis will be placed in a manner which will ensure that all the Taktis for a particular family are grouped together.
• Each "Takti" cost £108.00.
• All donations/payments received by 31^st May 2005 will be acknowledged in an aliphatic order grouped together. Pledges after 31^st May 2005 will be acknowledged at a later date as we need to order special granite plaques from India.

•  Ucchavnis for various specific items and ceremonies will be carried out at various stages during the next few months. We have already done certain Ucchavnis and which have been described in this report.
• The next round of Ucchavnis is to be carried out on Sunday 14th November 2004 and will then be followed on 23rd January 2005 by the Ucchavnis for the "Anjan Shalaka" ceremonies to be performed on the sculpted Pratimas.
• Members and devotees will be kept informed of the proposed Ucchavnis through the Oshwal News and the Association's web-site.

• Details of the items for the "Nakro" scheme are listed below.
• Everyone is welcome to participate in this scheme by submitting their names (individual or as a group) to the Fund Raising Sub-Committee.
• The cut off date for the submission of names for this scheme has been extended to 31^st December 2004 to allow members and devotees some more time to consider participation in these very important parts of the Deraser Complex. 
• In the event that more than one name is received for a particular item (except for the Dev Kulikas which are being treated in a separate manner), then the Fund Raising Sub-Committee, in consultation with the Executive Committee and the Deraser Project Sub-Committee, will conduct a draw to select ONE name from those received for the said item. The draw will be conducted in the presence of ALL the participants in the "Nakro Scheme" at a date to be advised at the appropriate time.
• Names for taking up the Dev Kulika should be submitted to the Gulabbhai - Fund Raising Chairman.
• The individual/family/group successful in taking up a NAKRO shall be required to make full payment in respect of the Nakro by 31st March 2005 unless otherwise agreed with the Executive Committee.

Scheme No. 6 - GENERAL FUND FOR THE DERASER PROJECT

You are welcome to donate towards the General Fund if you do not wish to take part in any of the above schemes. We will acknowledge donations over £1000.00 on the Deraser Complex if you wish.