Oshwal Centre and temple, Nairobi

The centre of the Halari Visa Oshwal community in Kenya, one of the oldest Jain communities established outside India.

Oshwal families from Halar in Gujarat began settling in East Africa from the late nineteenth century, and the community in Kenya is now several generations deep — long enough that its Gujarati carries Swahili in it.

The centre serves as temple, school and meeting place together. Jain communities in East Africa have historically been organised around exactly this kind of combined institution rather than around a temple alone.

Written for Jain Times. Corrections are welcome — see sources and licences.