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MAHAVIR JAYANTIMahavira Jayanti is the main Jain festival which is held to celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara and the founder of Jainism. It is observed on the first day of the month of Bhadrapad. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show. Jain temples, dedicated to Mahavira, are decorated with flags for the occasion. In the morning the idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the abhishek. It is then placed in a cradle and carried in a procession around the neighbourhood. On this day Jain devotees visit sacred sites and worship the Tirthankaras or the religious gurus. The event holds special significance in Gujarat and Rajasthan, due to the ancient shrines at Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat. It is also celebrated at Parasnath temple in Calcutta and at Pawapuri in Bihar. |
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