Celebrating birth of Lord Mahavira - On the Jain Festival of Paryushana

Paryushana the 8 day long fasting festivity has already begun and will be culminating on 25^th August on Samvatsari. On this occasion, the followers of Jain tenet pursue five vows in their life style which includes Nonviolence, Truth, Non-Stealing, Chastity and Non-Possession as the principal ones. The festival ends with a unique day dedicated to penance and forgiveness. Team CY experienced the Maha Parva celebration’s auspicious day of ‘14 Supan Darshan of Trishla Devi’ at the Dashaporvad Society in Paldi area of Ahmedabad. The glimpses have been caught through the lens of Marmik Shah, an Ahmedabad based hobbyist photographer.

On this occasion the community gathers at a common place (Upashraya) to celebrate the 14 dreams of Trishla mata, mother of Lord Mahavira, which came to her when the Lord was conceived. The 14 dreams were the indications of her son’s qualities which included an Elephant, Bull, Lion, Goddess Laxmi, Garland, Full Moon, Sun, Flag on a Golden Stick, Vase, Lake of Lotuses, Ocean, a Plane, Heap of Gems, Smokeless Fire, Fishes, and a Throne. The devotees organise a tangible figurative of all these elements of the dreams to commemorate the occasion. The fifth day of the Paryushana is dedicated to the commemoration of birth of the last Tirthankara of the Jain tenet. The actual birth anniversary of Mahavira falls on hindu calendar month of Chaitra (Chaitra Sud 13 / March-April), but Paryushana is when the actual celebration is held.