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towards salvation. It marks the end of the journey of worldly life, but the longest journey is the journey inward.
Malaropan - Honouring with a garland Any one who organises a padyatra; and bears all the expenses relating to it; and carries out Upadhan (austerity) first, earns the honour of being garlanded. The ceremony of offering a garland to a devout person acquires great significance because it is accompanied by the performance of some special austerities and by the recitations of mantras or holy hymns. Some times an offer is made for a higher amount and the people who pay the highest amount generously are first garlanded. The securing of a garland in this manner is a sign of being blessed.
Udhyapan - Celebration of completing an austerity Udhyapan is the ceremony of expressing a feeling of gratitude for having been able to complete an austerity or spiritual activity without any impediments. In the spoken dialect this called Ujamana or Ujavana. This ceremony is performed by giving away articles useful to temples, articles useful to for the dissemination of knowledge; and things useful for the Sadhus and Sadhvis. The ceremony comprises the exhibition and the donation of these articles relating to knowledge, to the temple and to the life of austerity. The devotees offer at the time of the completion of the vow with joy, the ornamental canopy, embroidered velvet back curtain with gold and silver thread design for the image of the Lord in temples and for the platform in Upashray.
Sadharmik Vatsalaya - Jain community lunch All those who meditate on and remember the Navkar Mantra; and who have devotion and reverence for Shraman Bhagwan Mahavir gather at a place and have dinner together and fees one another. This celebration is called Sadharmik Vatsalya. On this day, worship of the Lord and other devotional activities are organised. These community dinners are controlled by the code of Jain customs and practices. It is called Swami Vatsalya or Navkarshi in the spoken language. Apart from this other religious activities such as worship and undertaking of spiritual activities are done or arranged. Of course the responsibility of organising activities during all festivals is undertaken by pure minded and devout Shravaks. The Sadhus provide only the necessary guidance for these activities. In all Jain festivals, prayers are offered for the peace, felicity and prosperity (spiritual) of oneself, of the community, nation and the whole universe. The following activities are given special importance: giving to charity to the poor and the needy; rendering help; giving fodder and water to animals, giving grain to birds; giving free medicine to the sick and the disabled patients because in the Jain Dharma - benevolence is given the first place.
