Surat: A controversy over the religious initiation (diksha) of a seven-year-old girl has reached the Surat family court, where the child’s father has launched a legal battle seeking to halt the ceremony. The court, taking the matter seriously, had earlier directed the mother to ensure that no step related to the diksha is taken, following which she submitted an affidavit confirming this. For now, the diksha has been postponed.
The ongoing legal dispute saw a major twist during Monday’s hearing. Until now, the father had been claiming that the diksha was decided without his knowledge or consent, but the girl’s mother produced photographs and documents in court that, she argued, completely undermine his assertions.
Mother submits proof of father’s presence
During the family court hearing, the mother placed several pieces of evidence on record. She argued that on Saturday, 4 October, when the child was taken to seek permission for diksha from the acharya, the father and all members of his family were present. She also submitted photographs in which the father can be seen participating in the diksha-related proceedings.
In response, the father offered his explanation regarding these images. He told the court that he had gone there only because of his wife’s insistence and pressure, and merely to seek blessings. He maintained that no date for the diksha had been fixed at that time and that there had been no concrete discussion on the actual ceremony.
Diksha stayed for now
After heated arguments from both sides, the matter has become more complex before the Surat family court. Between the father’s claims of being kept in the dark and the mother’s evidence, the seven-year-old’s future is now caught in a legal tussle. Taking into account the child’s young age and the pending judicial process, the court has decided to keep the diksha on hold at this stage.
Earlier, ahead of the hearing, the girl’s father had told media that if his wife had understood his concerns, the dispute would not have reached court. He said the couple was prepared to allow diksha once their daughter was older, but that the current conflict began about seven months ago. During school vacations, his wife sent the child to stay with the maharaj when she felt the girl was “ready,” and then went to her parents’ home, allegedly putting one condition—that she would return only if he agreed to their daughter’s diksha.
He further claimed that when they went to the maharaj to refuse consent, they were told that the ceremony would go ahead regardless of their presence. The father says his daughter is too young and should decide about diksha only after turning 18, and alleges that relatives have warned him that if he tries to stop the initiation, there will be consequences. According to him, the family wants the youngest child to take diksha to bring prestige to the family name.
Call for ban on diksha at very young age
Advocate Swati Mehta, representing the father, has outlined her core arguments before the court. She says they are seeking an order to prevent diksha at such a young age, emphasising the child’s welfare and rights, as the girl is too young to independently choose a life of renunciation. The legal team aims to ensure that the child’s best interests are protected within the existing legal framework.
The father has filed his plea in the family court with the help of advocate Swati Mehta to stop the diksha ceremony.
Mass diksha ceremony in Mumbai on 8 February
This case is linked to a major mass diksha event scheduled in Mumbai. For the first time in Maharashtra, 59 aspirants are set to take diksha together in a five-day ceremony to be held from 4 to 8 February 2026 at Borivali, in the presence of Acharya Saumyasundarsurishwarji and several other Jain monks. Among the 59 candidates are 18 men and 41 women, with the oldest being 71 and the seven-year-old Surat girl being the youngest.
Surat court had stayed a 12-year-old boy’s diksha 7 months ago
Around seven months earlier, Surat courts dealt with a similar case involving a 12-year-old boy’s planned diksha. In that matter, the boy’s father approached the court before the ceremony and sought a stay, arguing that his son was too young to decide on monkhood while custody disputes between the parents were still pending. The boy’s mother and her family had organised the diksha event, and the child had been living with her after the parents separated.
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The Surat family court stayed the ceremony and ruled that the child would remain in the mother’s custody while the case continued. The earlier order has now become an important reference point as the court again weighs faith, parental rights and the best interests of a minor in the present case.