Kaushal Kotwal
India is a great country where people of different religions celebrate their religious festivals with utmost zeal and with utmost gusto and devotion. Mahavir Jayanti is also one of the most important festival which is celebrated by Jain community with utmost enthusiasm. Jain community believes that mahavir jayanti is most important festival for them which is celebrated in the most religious manner. This unique day is to venerate the birth of lord mahavira, who practised Jainism and he is considered one of the most honourable saints to have ever existed on this planet. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated during the period in april month. The jain community believes that lord mahavira was born in 615 BC. Swetambaras believe the year to be 599 BC. The temples all over india are magnificently decorated and innumerable devotees pour into pray and seek the blessings of mahavira. On the occasion, the devotees from all around the country offer bath and abhishek to the prophet’s idol. At some places chariot processions are organised in which huge number of devotees join and chant their prayers. Luscious delicacies are also prepared on this occasion and alms are offered to the poor. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated in grand style where people come to listen to preaching of great jain saints who teach the philosophies and ideals of mahavira and steer people in the path of righteousness and virtue. During this festival several sermons are held in shrines or temples all over the country and jain saints preach the lessons of salvation and virtue. Fast are observed and jains spend the day in all sorts of religious and charitable activities. People meet each other, send gifts and greetings to their loved ones on this occasion and express their love and best wishes.
Jainism is one of the most ancient religions in india and is the 6th largest religion practised in the country. This religion is an independent one and is revealed to have been in existence in every cyclic period of the universe. Jain profits also known as teerthankaras spread the teaching of Jainism. Lord mahavir is considered the last teeranthakara or jain prophet last of the 24 teeranthkaras to have ever born on earth. Born to parents Siddhartha and trishala, during the pregnancy the queen is said to have had dreams of auspicious nature. According to jain mythology mahavir had acquired all the necessary qualities to become a tirthankara in his previous life, 6 months prior to his birth, the supreme powers created an atmosphere congenial and conductive to mahavir’s birth, who was a great being. Gods and goddesses came down to bestow their blessings on the tiranthkaras expecting mother and to cater to her needs, wealth was showered from the heavens, relieving everyone from poverty and extending the superior ambience. Just before mahavir was born, his mother had 16 dreams. Mahavir was born at 4 in the morning which is considered very auspicious in Jainism and Hinduism .
The number of dreams vary in belief of each sect. lord mahavir was raised as a prince and he was known for his bravery and wisdom. Mahavira after running his kingdom faithfully till 30 years of age the great saint gave up all luxuries and comforts of palace for penance. For 12 long years the saint had been under penance. At this time he was enlightened. He was known to be the 24th and the last teeranthkara to have received enlightment he gave up all redundancies of life. He would eat on his palms refusing to use a plate. He also gave up wearing clothes, getting rid of these rudimentary materials he focused on the real things and the real meaning of life. He preached the importance of truth and non violence along with the message of not owning anything and not stealing. He later formulated all his teachings into a religion that he names Jainism.
On this auspicious day the statue of mahavir is garlanded with different flowers and rice, fruits and abhishek it with milk is done by the devotees. Kheer is prepared in most houses as a sweet dish by the devotees. The most important places of celebration of mahavir jayanti in india are Gujarat and rajasthan. Gujarat is said to have maximum number of jain shrines. They are the states where the highest number of jains reside. In india Gujarat holds the biggest fair for this festival. Yet vaishali, in bihar, being the birth place of lord mahavir has its own importance and also celebrates this jayanti significantly.
In our Jammu province this festival is also celebrated with utmost enthusiasm among the jain community and also the people from other communities greet jain community offering them best wishes. The teachings of lord mahavira is preached in the jain temples of Jammu where people throng to listen the great preachings of mahavir by the jain gurus.
Mahavir preached non violence and prohibited any kind of killing, he also believed that the most virtuous life is spent getting still and fasting, as then a man doesn’t run the risk of injuring life even involuntarily, by swallowing or treading upon insects. On his birth anniversary every jain resolves to follow his teachings.
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