Hindu Chaplaincy

Chaplains serve all in the University of Exeter community; staff/students of any faith background or none. They offer specialist faith advice, pastoral and spiritual support and run events from various different faith traditions and worldviews.

Jay Jina - Pastoral Chaplain

Before moving to Devon in 2019, and despite work activities that regularly took him around the world, Jay was rooted for most of his life in the Midlands to where his Indian-decent family had moved after the 1972 troubles in Uganda.

Having an Applied Mathematics background, most of Jay’s professional career has been in industry where he held several senior level positions in automotive, aerospace, and instrumentation sector multinationals, working predominantly within the areas of Manufacturing, Logistics, Strategy, and Information Systems. This industry career was interspersed with periods in consulting and academia during which he conducted and supervised applied research in various technology-centric areas. For several years, Jay also taught on executive MBA programmes in the Open University, and lately also taught Mathematics at undergraduate level before taking retirement at the end of 2024.

In parallel with his professional activities, Jay was also very active in the Hindu community in Birmingham in various roles as an elected officer of a major temple. Among his responsibilities included community-based education programmes in religion and languages, outreach, and representing the community.

Jay’s current interests lie in the areas of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist culture and practice, in the pursuit of which he travels and researches extensively within India and other countries of Asia. Jay is a published author and has mentored young writers in creative writing programmes.

A couple of Jay’s main aims in his role as Chaplain is to the Indian and Hindu societies in planning religious/cultural events like Diwali and support students, many of who will be away from home for the first time, to settle into university life, by linking to a vibrant and growing local Hindu community via the Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre.

Jay’s aspirations and values are best captured in verse 2.47 from the Bhagavad Gita:

To perform one’s work alone is what one is entitled, never to its rewards. So, neither let your motive be to the fruits of your actions, nor let your attachment be to non-action.

Email: J.jina@exeter.ac.uk

Mobile: 07713 504814

Watch this space

There are currently no events run by our Hindu Chaplain, Jay Jina. Watch this space to see if any new events come up in the future!

> Hindu Society

The Students' Guild Hindu Society is a friendly society with the aim of bringing together Hindu students in Exeter.

We wish to create a "home away from home" for fellow Hindu students by celebrating festivals and cultural activities which bring people together to form friendships and create memories which will last a lifetime. 

We are affiliated with the National Hindu Students' Forum (NHSF), and take part in regional and national events, including:

• Hindu Awareness Week
• Sewa (Charity) Week
• Sports tournaments against other Hindu Societies in the UK

All students are welcome to join, both Hindus and non-Hindus who may want to explore the religion or merely join in the fun.

Throughout the year we will celebrate:

• Navratri with dance
• Makar Sankranti with kites
• and Diwali with fireworks and lights

As well as this, expect a range of other events, like sports, talks, Sewa (Charity) activities, discussion groups, and socials such as trips to the beach and movie nights!

These are events/activities in the wider Exeter community as recommended by our Chaplains! Please be aware the Multifaith Chaplaincy are not running these events.

> Hindu Cultural Centre: Events

Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre is a local charity fundraising to build a Cultural Centre in the heart of Devon. They hold a regular monthly gathering at Exwick Parish Hall, Station Road, EX4 2AB.