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Festivals and Celebrations
Palguna (Bleak fortnight) (6) This is the day connected with the Kalyanak of the birth of Rishabhadev and his receiving the Deeksha. The Varsitap should be begun on the first day with chatt or attham upavas and Biyasan also is to be done alternately with these. If Chaudas (14) comes in the course of this, upavas has to be carried out. Chatt is to be performed on Chaumasi 14. This tapa continues upto Vaishak (Bright fortnight) of the next year, alternately.
Vaishak (Bright) 3 On the day of the Akshay Tritiya, the completion ceremony has to be carried out with sugar-cane juice, Lord Rishabhdev carried out continuously Chauvihar for 400 days. Shreyans Kumar carried out the completion ceremony on Vaishak (Bright) 3. Varsitap indicates this truth:
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Vaishak (Bright) 11. On this day, Lord Mahavir established the Shasan in Pavapuri. The Ganadhar Deeksha, the composition of the Dwadashangi Agam and the establishment of the fourfold sangh took place on this day. On this day, all the members of the sangh should carry out upavas, collectively.
On the day before the Deepavali, Lord Mahavir began to deliver discourses on dharma from the morning. It went on continuously upto the last part of the night of Deepavali (i.e., for 16 prahars). After that, the Lord attained Nirvan. People lit lights to show devotion to him and because the great light had been put out. Deepavali began on that day.
After the Bhagwan's Nirvan, the next morning, Gautam Swami attained Keval Jnan. You must perform chatt and on the night of Deepavali, in the first part of the night you must count 20 garlands of beads saying "Shrimahavir Swami Sarvajnayanamaha". Earlier, you must count 20 garlands of beads relating to the Devavandan of the Vir Nirvan and 20 garlands of beads uttering "Maha Swami Paragatayanamaha"..
On the five Kalyanak days or auspicious days of Shri Mahavir Swami you must carry out these special activities procession, collective singing of songs glorifying the virtues of Mahavir; carrying out noble contemplations; performing tapa besides counting twenty garlands of beads each. In the year,
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