An eight-year-old girl Devanshi Sanghvi in India who stood to inherit a multi-million-dollar diamond fortune has instead been inducted as a nun to a strict religious order after renouncing worldly pleasures. She was the heir to the Sanghvi and Sons jewellery firm in the western city of Surat, which is also known as "Diamond City" because of its significant role in the international gem trade. Her family is also a follower of the Jain religion, a small but venerable sect of Hinduism that advocates rigorous vegetarianism, nonviolence, and compassion for all living things.
She was feted in a four-day ceremony to herald her new vocation, which at one point saw her ride in a carriage pulled by an elephant, according to pictures shared on local media. Last week, she arrived at a temple to trade her elaborate garments for a plain white cotton outfit, after having all her hair cut off.
According to an anonymous witness to the event spoke to media said, Sanghvi was well-known within Surat's Jain community for her piety even as a small girl.
“Devanshi has never watched television, seen a movie, or visited a mall or restaurant, they claimed, adding that she frequently attended temple rituals. The infant is among the youngest individuals who have undergone the "diksha" process to give up their worldly things and become a Jain monk” they added.