Calendar

Apr
21
Sun
2024
Mahavir Jayanti
Apr 21 all-day
Mahavir Jayanti

Mahavir Jayanti is observed by Jains as birth anniversary of sage Mahavir. Mahavir, also known as Vardhamana, established core tenets of Jainism. Mahavir was the 24th and the last Jain sage. It is the main religious festival of Jain which marks the birth of last Tirthankara, Mahavir. The event usually falls during the months of March or April. During this day a sacred ceremony of bathing the statues of Mahavir is carried out, commonly known as abhisheka.

Mahavir was born on thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chaitra month (which was Trayodashi Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month). Mahavir was born during 599 B.C. and disappeared in 527 B.C. at the age of 72. Mahavir was born at Kundalagrama which is situated under Vaishali district in Bihar. Mahavir was a prince and was given the name Vardhaman by his parents. Being son of a king, he had many worldly pleasures, comforts, and services at his command. But at the age of thirty, he left his family and royal household, gave up his worldly possessions, and become a monk in search of a solution to eliminate pain, sorrow, and sufferings. Mahavir spent the next twelve and half years in deep silence and meditation to conquer his desires, feelings, and attachments. He carefully avoided harming or annoying other living beings including animals, birds, and plants. He also went without food for long periods. He was calm and peaceful against all unbearable hardships that he was given the name Mahavir, meaning very brave and courageous. During this period, his spiritual powers fully developed and at the end he realized perfect perception, knowledge, power, and bliss. This realization is known as keval jnana or the perfect enlightenment.

Mahavir spent the next thirty years travelling on bare foot around India preaching to the people the eternal truth he realized. The ultimate objective of his teaching is how one can attain total freedom from the cycle of birth, life, pain, misery, and death, and achieve the permanent blissful state of one’s self. This is also known as liberation, nirvana, absolute freedom, or Moksha. Mahavir preached that right faith (samyak darshana), right knowledge (samyak jnana), and right conduct (samyak charitra) together is the real path to attain the liberation from karmic matter of one’s self.

At the age of 72 (527 B.C.), Lord Mahavir attained nirvan and his purified soul left his body and achieved complete liberation. He became a Siddha, a pure consciousness, a liberated soul, living forever in a state of complete bliss. On the night of his nirvan, people celebrated the Festival of Lights (Dipavali) in his honor. This is the last day of Hindu and Jain calendar year known as Dipavali Day.

Apr
10
Thu
2025
Mahavir Jayanti
Apr 10 all-day
Mahavir Jayanti

Mahavir Jayanti is observed by Jains as birth anniversary of sage Mahavir. Mahavir, also known as Vardhamana, established core tenets of Jainism. Mahavir was the 24th and the last Jain sage. It is the main religious festival of Jain which marks the birth of last Tirthankara, Mahavir. The event usually falls during the months of March or April. During this day a sacred ceremony of bathing the statues of Mahavir is carried out, commonly known as abhisheka.

Mahavir was born on thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chaitra month (which was Trayodashi Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month). Mahavir was born during 599 B.C. and disappeared in 527 B.C. at the age of 72. Mahavir was born at Kundalagrama which is situated under Vaishali district in Bihar. Mahavir was a prince and was given the name Vardhaman by his parents. Being son of a king, he had many worldly pleasures, comforts, and services at his command. But at the age of thirty, he left his family and royal household, gave up his worldly possessions, and become a monk in search of a solution to eliminate pain, sorrow, and sufferings. Mahavir spent the next twelve and half years in deep silence and meditation to conquer his desires, feelings, and attachments. He carefully avoided harming or annoying other living beings including animals, birds, and plants. He also went without food for long periods. He was calm and peaceful against all unbearable hardships that he was given the name Mahavir, meaning very brave and courageous. During this period, his spiritual powers fully developed and at the end he realized perfect perception, knowledge, power, and bliss. This realization is known as keval jnana or the perfect enlightenment.

Mahavir spent the next thirty years travelling on bare foot around India preaching to the people the eternal truth he realized. The ultimate objective of his teaching is how one can attain total freedom from the cycle of birth, life, pain, misery, and death, and achieve the permanent blissful state of one’s self. This is also known as liberation, nirvana, absolute freedom, or Moksha. Mahavir preached that right faith (samyak darshana), right knowledge (samyak jnana), and right conduct (samyak charitra) together is the real path to attain the liberation from karmic matter of one’s self.

At the age of 72 (527 B.C.), Lord Mahavir attained nirvan and his purified soul left his body and achieved complete liberation. He became a Siddha, a pure consciousness, a liberated soul, living forever in a state of complete bliss. On the night of his nirvan, people celebrated the Festival of Lights (Dipavali) in his honor. This is the last day of Hindu and Jain calendar year known as Dipavali Day.