Jain Journal 1985 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 11

74
JAIN JOURNAL
illumination in the sky and displaying divine fire works. The practice has since been followed by the followers of Mahavira up to this date by making illumination and using fire works in celebrating the festival of Dipavali.
The Dipavali or the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana generally falls in the month of November, but once in three years cycle it comes in the last week of October also. Suppose it so happened that Kartik Krsna Amavasya 526 B.C. fell in the last week of October and there are evidences to support this belief and the Orioniod coincided with it, the meteoritical shower starting from the mid-night and lasting upto the day break played the role of 'heavenly fire works' and the appearance of a bright comet with its millions of kilometres long tail of 'divine light'. It was surely an unique and spectacular event to remember. This spectrum lasted right from mid-night to day-break. Probably this may be the reason of starting the nirvanotsava from mid-night.
From what we have discussed above the appearance of Halley's comet on the night of Lord Mahavira's nirvana was not only a conjecture but a fact accomplished based on scientific and historical datas.
The Halley's comet is supposed to be in its infancy or it might have been its first ever visit in the year 526 B.C. (no earlier sighting was recorded so far) then its brilliance would have been much pronounced. Certainly it would have been a very romantic and awe stricken sight to watch and it was rightly dreaded by the people at large due to superstitions prevailing in the country.
Our readers will be fortunate enough to watch this long awaited sight in very near future just 13 months hence. It will be its 34th visit since its first ever historical sighting in the year 526 B.C., the origin of the Vir Nirvan Samvat.
Had Shakespeare been alive today he would have been much happier to learn about this historical discovery which establishes the truth of his famous 'adage' given in the beginning of this article.