New Delhi: Mahavir Janma Kalyanak or Mahavira Jayanti is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. According to Jain texts, Mahavir was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13) which in the Gregorian calendars falls on March or April.
This year, Mahavir Jayanti will be observed on April 25th 2021.
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Celebrations:
Mahavir Jayanti is widely celebrated in places all over the world wherever there is a presence of the Jain community. In India, the holiday is celebrated at Jain Temples throughout the country. The festival is more enthusiastically observed in states like Rajasthan and Gujarat, where a higher numbers of Jains are present. The day's celebration include a procession or rath yatra carried out with the idol of Lord Mahavir while singing religious songs. However, this time the celebration of Mahavir Jayanti will look a little different due to the ongoing second wave of coronavirus. Many members of the Jain community engage in some sort of charitable act, prayers, pujas, and vratas. Devotees visit temples dedicated to Mahavir to meditate and offer prayers.
Mahavira's Teachings:
The observance of Lord Mahavira were:
Ahimsa (Non-Violence)- He was a firm believer that people should follow the path of non-violence.
Satya (Truth)- He believed in saying the truth and being truthful.
Asteya (Refraaining from dishonesty) - He believed that people should be honest and they should not steal things.
Brahmacharya (Chastity) - He believed in not indulging in sensual pleasures.
Aparigraha (non-attachment) - He believed that people should not attach to material things.