Mahavir Jayanti In India

Mahavir Jayanti

Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira (the founder of Jainism) is observed on the first day of the month of Bhadrapad in April. It is the main festival of the Jain community, and Jain temples dedicated to Lord Mahavira are decorated with flags for the occasion.

In the morning the idol of Lord Mahavira is given abhishek (a ceremonial bath). It is then placed in a cradle and taken in a procession around the neighborhood. Drummers, boys with silver staves and aarti lamps, bhajan singers, musicians, horses, elephants and tableaux depicting scenes from the life of Lord Mahavira form part of the pageant. The procession concludes with ceremonial prayers and meditation at a temple or huge ground reserved for the purpose.