India : An eight-year-old girl has renounced worldly comforts to become a Jain nun and live an austere life, forgoing even basics such as toothbrush and soap in pursuit of salvation.
Devanshi Sanghvi, the eldest daughter of diamond baron Dhanesh Sanghvi and his wife Ami, took vows of renunciation on Wednesday in the presence of a Jain nun in Surat in western Gujarat.
More than 35,000 devotees attended the event as the young girl vowed to live an austere life.
A pavilion-like seating arrangement was made in a huge palace-like canopy so that thousands of people could enjoy the initiation ceremony.
A religious procession with elephants, camels and horses was taken out in the city as Devanshi dressed up in finery for one last time before her transition to the life of a nun.
She will now wear only white robes and cover her mouth with fabric to prevent herself from accidentally swallowing insects.
