Jains observed the 2622nd birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir on Sunday. The day was marked with religious processions, prayers, and sermons. The day, also called ‘Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, is one of the most important events in the Jain religious calendar.
Bhagwan Mahavir, the 24th and the last tirthankar, or teacher, of Jain beliefs, is believed to have been born on Trayodashi, or the 13th day) of the Shukla Paksha, the bright half, of the month of Chaitra. This year, the period corresponds to the period between 10:41pm on April 20 and 1.11pm on April 22.
Mumbai's Jain Community Celebrates Mahavir Jayanti With Religious Devotion And Social Activities
In Mumbai, the community observed the festival with religious rituals and processions in different parts of the city. As a community that lives on the principles of truth and non-violence, Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated with religious rituals at the derasars along with various social activities undertaken by different Jain sub-communities.
Derasars across the city saw a huge number of devotees from the morning who joined rituals to mark the day. The Murtipujak communities celebrated the festival by performing abhishek of Mahavir’s idols in the temple while the Sthanakvasi communities recited prayers as a part of the celebrations.
Jain Community Engages In Social Activities And Philanthropy On Anniversary Day
Many community members observed ‘laadva prabhavna’ on this day which includes distributing sweets to express happiness about the revered tirthankara’s birth. Jains also carried out various social activities as a part of the anniversary, spreading the joy of festivity among people from other communities.
The Vardhaman Sthanakvasi Jain Sangh in Dadar organised a ‘chhash kendra’ to distribute buttermilk to save people from the scorching summer heat. Anil Dharod, managing trustee of the Dadar Sangh said, “Every year we run this buttermilk centre for 70 days and distribute around 2,000 glasses every day for free. As a part of social work to commemorate this festival, a member of our community also donated Rs. 51 lakhs to various organisations working in the field of education and medical.”
Dombivali Jain Sanghs Organise Grand Maharathyatra
The Dombivali Jain Sanghs held grand processions to observe the event. For the first time, the Shvetambar, Digambar and Terapanthi sects came together to organise the Maharathyatra in Dombivali (West) whereas seven sanghs from Dombivali (East) joined to organise a procession which started early during the day from Pandurangwadi Derasar. The procession travelled through different derasars in Dombivali with tableaus, community flags and music bands from different Jain sanghs, it concluded at the Suvidhinath Derasar.
Mahendra Mehta, trustee of Neminath Shwetambar Murtipujak Tapagachha Jain Sangh Dombivali (West, said, “Under the guidance of Kalapurnasurishvarji sect’s Krutdarshi Vijayji and Kaladarshi Vijayji, we had organised the Maharathyatra. To share the joy of our god’s birth anniversary, we distributed sweets to everyone along the way of procession. We have also organised a nine-day Ayambil Oli fast which is observed by controlling the taste buds.”
