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mpapur, many pilavirji,
religious activities. The pilgrim places are known as Tirth-Khetras. The important pilgrim certers Kailash, Pawapur, Champapur, Girnar, Satrunjai, and Samvadshikar etc. are recognized by both the sects. There are many pilgrim centers in India where Digamber and Swetamber sects worship separately. Mahavirji, Shri Rishabdeoji, Ranakpurji in Rajasthan, Girnar, Pavagarh in Gujrat, Sonagiri, Khujraho in Madhya Pradesh, Hastinapur, Kausambi in Uttar Pradesh, Bahubaliji in Karnataka and many others in different provinces maintained by the Digamber and Swetamber sects separately.
10. Festivals
Jains celebrate four important festivals. They are:
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Aksaya Tritiya Paryushana Mahavir Jayanti Dipawali.
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(i) Aksaya Tritiya On this day, the first Tirthankar Rishab broke his long fast of one year and forty days. His great-grandson offered him Iksurasa to break the fast. To follow this event most of the Jains do Varshitapa (One day eating and one day fasting for one year continuously).
(ii) Paryushana This is celebrated for eight days during the second month of the rainy season. The last day is celebrated as 'Samvatsari'. It is a tradition that on this day everybody tries to observe a fast and forget and forgive everybody for the committal of mistakes during the year. This day is symbolic of friendship.
This function is celebrated by Digambers for ten days, known as 'Dashlaksana Parva'.
(iii) Mahavir Jayanti Bhagwan Mahavir was born on Chaitra Shukla 13. This day is celebrated throughout the nation and abroad also as Mahavir Jayanti.
(iv) Dipawali Dipawali is a popular festival observed throughout India. Jains celebrate on the grounds that Mahavira got Nirvana during midnight and the many kings joined in celebrations by lighting the lamps. It is believed that at midnight of diwali, Gautamswami also achieved the full purity of consciousness and got fully awakened by Kewal-Gyan. Jains, therefore repeatedly chant the name of Mahavira before midnight and chant the name of Gautmn after midnight.
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