The only way to peace and salvation is to lead a simple life, said Khushi.

A 12-year-old girl from Surat today became a Jain monk, renouncing all the worldly pleasures and embracing monkhood. Her family fully backed her decision.

"The pleasures we enjoy here are not permanent as this world is temporary and it will remain so. The only way to peace and salvation is to lead a simple life," Khushi Shah told news agency ANI.

The 12-year-old is not the only one from her family to become a monk. "When I was a child, there were four people from my family who had chosen this path to attain peace. According to Simandhar Swami ji, one should renounce worldly pleasure at the age of 8. Now I am 12 and I want to take Diksha (initiation ceremony) at the earliest," she said.

Khushi Shah says that the pleasures we enjoy in the world are not permanent. Khushi's father Vinit Shah, who is a government employee, said, "At this tender age, she has got the insight and it is not something very common among children. It is a matter of pride for us. She can spread light in the lives of millions once she becomes a saint."

Khushi Shah's family celebrates before diksha ceremony.

Khushi scored 97 per cent in class 6 and left school in November last year to lead a simple life. "She has already travelled thousands of kilometres on feet and has seen the life after Diksha very closely," his father added.

"I had wanted her to become a doctor, but we both agreed for her Diksha because we want all her wishes to be fulfilled. I am so proud of her decision," said Khushi's mother.

In Jain faith, diksha is a ritual of renunciation or initiation. Jain monks vow to give up not just material possessions but also all passions or emotions that cause karma. The initiation ceremony features the ritual of kesa-loca - 'pulling out of the hair' - which indicates indifference to the body. The new monks and nuns perform the Five Great Vows called maha-vrata. The monk's daily routine broadly includes - the five great vows (mahavrata), the eight matrices of doctrine (pravacana-matrka), and the six obligatory actions (avasyaka).