Jain Festivals

1
Jain Festivals Calendar
JAINA Convention, Cincinnati 2003

• Yashwant K. Malaiya
• ymalaiya_at_yahoo.com

2
Jainism Festivals

• Why we celebrate
• Paryushan Diwali
• Major festivals
• Anniversaries
• vratas
• Local festivals
• Paramapara Acharya Anniversaries
• Melas yatras
• Internet resource

3
Why Do We Celebrate?

• We are fortunate enough to attend samosharan of a
  Tirthankar.
• We can feel divine presence by celebrating the
  five kalyanakas.
• Celebrate to renew our resolve to follow
  kevali-guided dharma.
• We celebrate the joy of shravakahood.
• Often austerities, not conspicuous consumption.

4
Indian Calendar

• There are
• 12 months in a year (but exceptions common)
• 2 paksha Krisha (vad), Shukla (sudi)
• 15 tithis in paksha
• Northern system
• Chaitra (March-April) to Phalgun
• Month ends on full moon (Purnima).
• Western system (Kalnirnaya calendar)
• Kartika (Oct.-Nov.) to Ashvin
• Month ends on new moon (Amavasya)

5
Paryushan Celebrating Self-control

• History Four months of rainy season stay by
  monks must be initiated by Bhadrapad Shukla 5.
• Marks interaction between monks (or scholars)
  shravakas.
• Many days of festivities, austerities, reflection
  renewal.
• Shvetambara 8 days ending on Bhadra. Sh. 4 or 5.
• Digambaras10 days starting on Bhadra. Sh. 5.

6
Paryushan Reflection

• Pratikramana reflection on ones spiritual
  journey renewal of faith
• Periodic twice daily, twice monthly, quarterly
  or annual (samvatsari)
• Format Equanimity, prayers, reflections,
  detachment, resolutions as prescribed.
• Common to Shvetambar Digambar traditions in
  some form.

7
Paryushan Traditions

• Shvetambar
• Reading of Kalpasutra, section on including Lord
  Mahaviras birth
• Requesting forgiveness on samvatsari Micchami
  dukkadam
• Digambar
• Dashalakshan vrat 10 attributes of dharma
  forgiveness, gentleness etc.
• Sugandh-10th, Anant-14th, Kshamavani (1st)

8
Kalpasutra Lord Mahaviras birth
9
Diwali Mahaviras Nirvana

• TiloyapaNNatti, Uttarapurana etc
• During night of Kartika Krishna 14, during the
  svati nakshatra, lord Mahavira became a Siddha
• Kalpasutra The kings said
• Because the divine light is gone, let us create
  light of material things

10
Diwali Mahaviras Nirvana

• Harivamsha-Purana by Acharya Jinasena
• People in Bharata celebrate "Dipalika", to
  worship Jinendra on the occasion of his nirvana
• Brahmanical views of Diwali
• return of Ram to Ayodhya (not in Ramayana)
• slaying of Narakasur (not in Mahabharata)
• return of daitya king Bali (Bhavishyottar Purana)
• Sikh interpretations

11
Diwali related festivals

• Dhan trayodashi (Kartika K 13) day for
  purchasing pots and pans.
• Diwali night (Kartika K 14) when Lord Mahavira
  attained nirvana.
• Nirvana Celebration Diwali (Kartika K 15) On
  this morning, special worship is performed.
• New year and Gautam Kevalajnana (Kartika S 1)
  First day of the Jain calendar and Kartikadi
  Vikrama Samvat. The chief ganadhara Gautam
  attained kevala-jnana.
• Bhai Bija S (Kartika S 2) sisters invite
  brothers to mark the day when the sister of Lord
  Mahavira had invited her brother to comfort him.

12
Jinas 5 Auspicious Events

• Panch-Kalyanakas
• Garbh conception
• Janma birth
• Tapa Renunciation
• Keval-jnana absolute enlightenment
• Moksh liberation
• Reenected during installation of a new idol
• Anniversaries celebrted with special worship

13
Lord Rishabh

• Akshaya Tratiya (Vaishakh S 3) Lord Rishabha
  broke his fast by accepting sugar-cane juice.
  Visit Shatrunjay on this day.
• Rishabha Nirvana or Jinaratri (Magha K 14)
  Popular in South India.

14
Lord Mahavira

• Lord Mahaviras birth (Chaitra Shukla 13)
  Special processions and functions
• Vira Shasan Jayanti (Shravana K 1) dharma as
  established by Lord Mahavira.

15
Vratas Self-Control

• Vrata self control, austerity. Often fasting.
• Many vratas in different sects. Procedures
  prescribed
• some are annual, monthly, weekly etc.
• Some based on nakshatras.
• Often fixed duration
• Completion of a vrata as specified
• For details experts should be consulted.

16
Some Popular Vratas

• Varshitap S (Chaitra K 8 to Vaishakha S 4 of next
  year) The story of Shreyans Kumar. 
• Navpad Oli-Ayambil S (Chaitra S 7 15, Ashvina S
  7 15) This is associated with Siddhachakra
  worship and story of Maina Sundari.
• Ratnatraya D (Chaitra S 1215, Bhadrapada S
  12-15, Magha S 12-15) The story of King
  Vaishravana is associated with this vrata.
• Ashtanhika D (Ashadha S 815, Kartika S 815,
  Phalguna S 815) This is associated with the
  story of Harishena chakravarti.

17
Siddhachakra
18
Parampara Acharya Jayantis

• Lord Mahavira 12 Ganas headed by Ganadharas.
• We have Acharyas head an order
• Shantisagar Jayanti (Bhadrapad S 2) The first
  Digambar Acharya to return to North India in 20th
  cent.
• Manidhari Jinachandra Suri, Dada guru (Ashvina K
  2) He was a celebrated Acharya of
  Kharataragachchh.
• Hemachandra Jayanti (Kartika S 15) celebrated
  author, preceptor of king Kumarpal.
• Lonkashah Jayanti (Kartika S 15) originated the
  non-idol worshipping tradtion.
• Taran Taran Jayanti (Margashirsha S7) Taran
  Swami was founder of Taran Panth in Bundelkhand.
• Kundakunda Acharyapad (Pausha K 8) first century
  CE in South India, classic texts like the
  Samayasara.

19
Rath Yatras

• Public proclamation of Jain faith
• Authority given by kings governments
• Consult local Jain calendars

20
Rath Yatras

• Rath Yatra in 11th century Patan (Gujarat)

21
Tirth Melas

• Annual gathering of Shravakas at tirthas
• Kundalpur MP (Chaitra K 13)
• Mahavirji Raj. (Vaishakh K 1)  
• Dadabadi Mahrauli (Bhadrapad K 7)
• Pavapuri, Shatrunjay, Kumbhoj, Muktagiri,
  Kachner, Mangi-Tungi, Taranga, Papura,
  Siddhavarakut, Kolkata etc. (Kartika S 15)
• Sammet Shikhar, Jhar. (Pausha K 10)
• Kesariaji, Raj. (Magh K 13)

22
Ashtamis Chaturdashis

• All Ashtamis and Chaturdashis are regarded to be
  special days.
• 3 four-monthly chaturdashis (Kartika, Phalguna,
  Ashadha) have special significance.

23
Vir Nirvan Samvat

• Started with Nirvana of Lord Mahavira on Oct. 15,
  527 BCE.
• Vir Nirvan Samvat 2529 started right after Diwali
  of 2002 CE.
• Vikram Samvat is named after a king Vikramaditya.
• In west, Vikram Samvat 2060 started after Diwali
  2002. In north, it started later on Chaitra S 1.
  

24
Jain Calendar Festivalson Internet

• Jain Festivals
• http//www.cs.colostate.edu/malaiya/Jain_Festival
  s.htm
• Includes links to other sites on Jain fectivals
• Or at Google search of Jain Festivals

http//www.onmission.com/webzine/may_jun01/net_gen
eration.htm
25
Time computation

• In Indian calendars, the celestial bodies the
  sun, the moon and the stars serve as
  time-keepers.
• The movements of the celestial bodies are not
  synchronized.
• An average day
• divided into 24 hours in the western system.
• divided into 60 ghatis (daris) of 24 minutes
  each in India
• One Lunar month is one full Lunar cycle
• of 29.5306 days.
• In India, a Lunar month is divided 30 tithis,
• thus each tithi is shorter than a day.
• the tithi may change twice within a day. A
  complex formula is used to determine the tithi of
  a day.