Mahavir Jayanti 2027 महावीर जयंती

Why Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated

Mahavir Jayanti is the most important festival of the Jain community. It marks the birth of Vardhaman Mahavir, whom Jains revere as the 24th Tirthankara. A Tirthankara, in Jain belief, is a perfect soul who crosses the ocean of birth and death and then shows others the path across. Jains call the day Janma Kalyanak, meaning the auspicious event of birth.

The festival is not a day of noisy celebration. It is a day to remember what Mahavir taught and to try to live by it. His message rests on ahimsa, or non violence, towards every living being, including insects and plants. Alongside ahimsa, he taught satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (self control) and aparigraha (non attachment to things). These five vows form the base of Jain life.

Mahavir also taught anekantavada, the idea that truth has many sides and no single view captures all of it. This teaching asks people to listen to others with patience and respect. In a world of quick anger and heavy consumption, many people, not only Jains, find this message useful. The day therefore stands for compassion, self discipline and respect for all life.

History and story of Mahavir Jayanti

Jain tradition places Mahavir's birth in the 6th century BCE, with 599 BCE as the commonly accepted year. He was born at Kundagrama, near ancient Vaishali in present day Bihar. His father, Siddhartha, was a chief of the Jnatrika clan, and his mother was Queen Trishala. His parents named him Vardhaman, meaning one who grows, because devotees believe the kingdom prospered after his conception.

Jain texts describe the dreams Queen Trishala saw before his birth. The Shvetambara tradition counts fourteen dreams and the Digambara tradition counts sixteen. Learned men explained that the child would become either a great emperor or a great spiritual teacher.

Vardhaman grew up in comfort. At about thirty years of age he gave up his home, wealth and family to live as a monk. For roughly twelve and a half years he practised hard penance, fasting, meditation and silence, and he bore insults and hardship without anger. According to Jain belief, he then attained kevala jnana, or complete knowledge, under a sal tree on the bank of the Rijupalika river. From then on he was known as Mahavir, the great hero, and also as Jina, the conqueror of inner passions. The word Jain comes from Jina.

For about thirty years he walked from village to village, teaching in the language of ordinary people. He built a fourfold community of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. At the age of 72 he attained nirvana at Pavapuri in Bihar. Jains mark that event at Diwali time. Mahavir did not found Jainism alone; Jains see him as the last in a line of 24 Tirthankaras, beginning with Rishabhanatha, with Parshvanatha as the 23rd.

How Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated

The day starts early. Devotees bathe, wear clean white or simple clothes and go to the derasar or Jain temple. Many observe a fast, either complete or eating only once, and avoid root vegetables, in line with Jain food rules.

In temples the idol of Mahavir receives an abhishek, a ritual bath with water, milk and other pure liquids. Devotees then offer flowers, rice, sandalwood and lamps. Children often take part in a ceremony that recreates the birth, with a small cradle and songs. Monks and nuns give talks on Mahavir's life and the five vows.

A rath yatra, or chariot procession, is a central part of the day. An idol of Mahavir is placed on a decorated chariot or palki and carried through streets with music, bhajans and flags. Devotees walk barefoot behind it.

Charity is an essential part of the festival. Jains donate food, clothes and money, support schools and hospitals, and feed animals. Many communities also arrange for the release of animals meant for slaughter, or make donations to animal shelters, known as panjrapols. Some families avoid any activity that could harm small creatures on this day.

Mahavir Jayanti across India

Large celebrations take place at places linked to Mahavir and the Tirthankaras. Pavapuri and Vaishali in Bihar hold special events. Gujarat and Rajasthan, home to many Jain families, see grand processions, especially at Palitana, Girnar and Shri Mahavirji in Karauli district of Rajasthan. Shravanabelagola in Karnataka is an important centre for Digambara Jains.

In North India, cities with a Jain trading community, such as Delhi, Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur, take out processions. In Dehradun, the Jain community gathers at its temples in the city for abhishek, talks and a procession, and serves food to the needy.