Author : Team Astroyogi Date: 01/06/2022 Date: 01/06/2022

Mahavir Jayanti
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Mahavir Jayanti will fall on 14th April this year. It is a day that is celebrated all around the globe among the Jain community in order to commemorate the life and teachings of the last spiritual leader of Jainism, Lord Mahavir.

All About the Festival of Mahavir Jayanti 2022:

This day stands for the most fundamental tenets of Jainism. It is an extremely auspicious day for Jains all around the world, not just in India. On this day, the Jain community celebrates the memory of their last spiritual guru or teacher, Lord Mahavir. Every year, this day arrives in either March or April, as per the Gregorian calendar. However, as per the Hindu Panchang, this day falls on the 13th day of the sacred Chaitra month.

On the day of this celebrated event, a mighty procession is taken out on the streets with the idol of Lord Mahavir. This procession is called the Rath Yatra. Later in the day, the devotees visit the temples and pay homage to Lord Mahavir by singing religious hymns. They seek blessings for a prosperous and fruitful life through prayers. The day is colored with the theme of charity, inspiring people to help the needy through donations and gifts. Giving back to society to be a noble citizen is the message behind celebrating this festival.

Significance of Happy Mahavir Jayanti:

The revered Lord Mahavir is the founder of the religion of Jainism. He was believed to have been born in 588 B.C. in the Kshatriyakund region of Bihar. His birth is celebrated on this day because it is considered that he was born on the 13th day of the half-moon as per the lunar cycle, in the Chaitra month. He is the last of the 24th Tirthankar. He is the teacher who propagates the essence of dharma in Jainism. The day is celebrated to honor his journey of attaining enlightenment as well as to pay respects to his teachings of peace and austerity to mankind.

How is Mahavir Jayanti Date Celebrated:

This day holds a lot of significance for the Jains all around the world. Here are the different ways this day is celebrated:

This major festival of the Jains is celebrated by observing fasts and offering prayers throughout the day.
On this propitious day, devotees pray in the Jain temples across the country and the rest of the world.
The prayers are often followed by a time of meditation.
The worshippers spend the day reflecting upon the teachings of Lord Mahavir on this day.
His discourses were full of teachings regarding restraint, renunciation, virtue, love and compassion, and modesty, and it is these messages that people contemplate upon on this day.
Massive processions are carried out with tableaux that display Mahavir’s teachings and are decorated majestically. They carry the idol of Lord Mahavir on a chariot as people walk around it to show their devotion.
Some people even carry an idol of an infant Lord Mahavir in a cradle upon their heads as they walk while reciting religious hymns and songs.
This holiday holds special significance to the people in Eastern Bihar. This place is near the modern-day city of Patna and is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Mahavir.
Similarly, the day holds special relevance to the people of Kolkata, where a massive celebration is held each year on Bhagwan Mahavir Jayanti in the Parasnatha temple.

Rituals Associated with Mahavir Jayanti Date 2022:

The festivities associated with this day are carried out alongside many different rituals. Mentioned below are some of the prominent ones. Let us have a look:

The day begins with Snana or a traditional bath for the statue of Lord Mahavir with holy water as well as fragrance-infused oils.
After the snana, the deity is then offered tilak.
People diligently decorate the temples and adorn the statue of Lord Mahavir in beautiful dresses.
The idol of the deity is embellished with beautiful flowers and garlands.
A mixture of Haldi and Chandan is then applied on the idol of Lord Mahavir.
People offer delicious food prepared on this day to the deity as bhog.
Offerings of rice, sugar, fruits and dry fruits are made after conducting an Abhishek with holy water and milk.
Some devotees observe a fast on this auspicious day to receive the blessing of Lord Mahavir.
People visit the temples with their family and friends and talk about the teachings of Mahavir in detail.
People also visit the Teerthankar shrines on this day.
They honor the statue of Lord Mahavir by singing prayers or bhajans.
Many Jain households prepare a delectable feast on this occasion, and kheer and laddoo are prominent delicacies of the day.

Teachings of Lord Mahavir:

The religion of Jainism as we know it in the present day follows an ascetic lifestyle, upholding austerity as a virtue. They revere and worship Lord Mahavir as the ultimate prophet in their religion. Over 3.5 million people around the world today practice the religion of Jainism, where each of them follows a path along the road of non-violence. This teaching of exhibiting non-violence applies not just to humans but to all living beings. They are so strict over the observance of non-violence that some of them even wear a face mask to avoid inadvertently killing an insect while breathing.

Let us take a look at five of the most prominent tenets of Jainism based on the teachings of Lord Mahavir:

Ahimsa or non-violence: Cause no harm to any living being.
Asteya or no stealing: Do not take possession of things that do not belong to you.
Satya or truthfulness: Speak the truth at all times.
Brahmacharya or chastity: Refrain from indulging in sensual pleasures.
Aparigraha or non-attachment: Avoid attachment to materialistic objects.

Donations on Mahavir Jayanti:

Since the religion of Jainism is based on the principles of charity and non-violence, this auspicious day requires each devotee to make the following daans or donations:

Abhay Daan- Prevent people from performing bad actions.
Gyaan Daan- Share the gift of knowledge.
Aushad Daan- Donate This favorable day holds so much meaning to every Jain as it teaches humanity the right way to live our lives. It teaches us the true meaning of life as we traverse through the many ups and downs in our individual journeys.
If you wish to know more about happy Mahavir Jayanti, get connected with Astroyogi astrologers right away!
medicines to the needy.
Ahaar Daan- Donate food to the poor.

Legends associated with Mahavir Jayanti:

Born in a royal family of the Vaishali kingdom, Mahavir was the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trisala. The Swetambara sect among the Jains believes that when Trisala, Vardhman’s mother, was pregnant with him, the expectant mother saw 14 opportune dreams. On the other hand, the Digambara sect believes that it was actually 16 dreams. The royal astrologers in the kingdom interpreted these dreams as a sign that the child would either rule the kingdom as an emperor or would be a Teerthankar.

After his birth, the child was given the name Vardhaman by his parents. Despite being born in a royal family, surrounded by all the luxuries of the materialistic world, he was not swayed by the opulence surrounding him. As a result, he set out to look for inner peace and tranquility, hoping to find the meaning behind his existence.

Leaving all the materialistic joys of life behind, Vardhaman, from his early days, developed a keen interest in the core teachings of Jainism. He meditated to attain spiritual knowledge, renouncing his royal status and the crown to seek the truth of life. He left his family and worldly duties to attain the spiritual truth. Living the life of an ascetic, he practiced a life of difficult penance, observing strict austerity in order to attain enlightenment or Kevala Jnana. It also means omniscience, as per Jainism.

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