Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is one of the most important religious festivals in

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

. It celebrates the birth of

Mahavir Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

, the twenty-fourth and last

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

of present

Avasarpiṇī ''Avasarpiṇī'' is the descending half of the cosmic time cycle in Jainism and the one in which the world is said to be at present. According to Jain texts the ''Avasarpiṇī'' is marked by a decline in goodness and religion. The ascending ...

. On the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

, the holiday occurs either in March or April.

Birth

According to

Jain texts Jain literature (Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the ca ...

, Mahavir was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of ''

Chaitra Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...

'' in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13). Most modern historians consider Kundagram (which is today's Kundalpur in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar) as his birthplace. Mahavir was born in a democratic kingdom (Ganarajya), Vajji, where the king was chosen by votes. Vaishali was its capital. Mahavir was named 'Vardhaman', meaning "One who grows", because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth. In Vasokund, Mahavir is revered by the villagers. A place called ''Ahalya bhumi'' has not been ploughed for hundreds of years by the family that owns it, as it is considered to be the birthplace of Mahavir.

Legend

Mahavirswami was born into

Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty is ...

as the son of King

Siddhartha of Kundagrama Siddhartha () was the father of Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara. He was a Kshatriya King from the Ikshvaku dynasty and the ruler of the Nata, Ainwar(Light), Gyat or Jnatri clan in Kshatriya Kundagrama, a suburb of Vaishali (Basarh in mode ...

and Queen

Trishala Trishala, also known as Videhadatta, Priyakarini, or Trishala Mata (Mother ''Trishala''), was the mother of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, and wife of the Jain monarch, Siddhartha of Kundagrama, of present-day Bihar. She finds mention ...

. During her pregnancy, Trishala was believed to have had a number of

auspicious dreams Auspicious dreams are often described in texts of Jainism which forecast the virtue of children. Their number varies according to different traditions and they described frequently as fourteen or sixteen dreams. They are seen by mothers of the pr ...

, all signifying the coming of a great soul.

Digambara ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing n ...

sect of Jainism holds that the mother saw sixteen dreams which were interpreted by the King Siddhartha. According to the Svetambara sect, the total number of auspicious dreams is fourteen. It is said that when Queen Trishala gave birth to Mahavir,

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

, the head of heavenly beings (''

devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

'') performed a ritual called ''abhisheka on Sumeru Parvat'', this being the second of five auspicious events (''

Panch Kalyanaka Panch Kalyanaka ( sa, pan̄ca kalyāṇaka, "Five Auspicious Events") are the five chief auspicious events that occur in the life of tirthankara in Jainism. They are commemorated as part of many Jain rituals and festivals. Kalyanaka These aus ...

s''), said to occur in the life of all ''

Tirthankaras In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English language, English: literally a 'Ford (crossing), ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the ...

''.

Celebrations

The idol of Lord Mahavir is carried out on a chariot, in a procession called ''

rath yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

''. On the way stavans (religious rhymes) are recited. Statues of Mahavir are given a ceremonial anointment called the ''abhisheka''. During the day, most members of the

Jain community The Jains in India are the last direct representatives of the ancient Shramana tradition. People who practice Jainism, an ancient religion of the Indian subcontinent, are collectively referred to as Jains. Sangha Jainism has a fourfold orde ...

engage in some sort of charitable act, prayers, pujas, and vratas. Many devotees visit temples dedicated to Mahavir to meditate and offer prayers. Lectures by monks and nuns are held in temples to preach the path of virtue as defined by

. Donations are collected in order to promote charitable missions like saving cows from slaughter or helping to feed poor people. Ancient Jain temples across India typically see an extremely high volume of practitioners come to pay their respects and join in the celebrations. Ahimsa runs and rallies preaching Lord Mahavir's message of

Ahiṃsā Ahimsa (, IAST: ''ahiṃsā'', ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings. It is a key virtue in most Indian religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.Bajpai, Shiva (2011). The History of India – F ...

(non-violence) are taken out on this day.

References

Notes

Sources

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External links

History of Jainism