Book Title: Jains Today in World
Author(s): Pirre Paul AMIEL
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 222
________________ . Their Rites, Cults and Religious Festivals : 179 The 5th day of the bright fortnight commemorates the liberation of Ajita and the 7th that of Sambhava. From the 7th to the 15th day a fast of ten days called “Caitra daśalaksaņa-parva” or “Ayambila oli" is kept. The 11th day Sumati's birth and liberation are commemorated. The 13th day is the anniversary of Mahāvīra's birth (Mahāvīra-janma or jayanti). The adepts perform a “pājā"after the procession of his statue in a cradle. It is one of the most joyous Jain celebrations of the year. The 15th day it is the full moon and the festival called “Caitra pārņimă" with a pilgrimage to Satruñjaya for some Jains. • Lunar month of “Vaišākha” (April/May) On the 10th day of the dark fortnight of this month, Jains celebrate the anniversary of Munisuvrata's birth. The 13" is the anniversary from some obedience of śānti's birth and liberation. The 14th is the anniversary of śānti's renunciation or of Nemi's liberation, according to the obedience. The 1st day of the bright fortnight, Kunthu's birth and liberation are celebrated. The 3'day is “Akşaya-tītiya” the anniversary of the day when Rşabha broke his first one-year fast at Hastinapur by drinking some sugar-cane juice offered to him by Princess Śreyāṁsa. All the adepts who have undergone a series of fasts during the year receive sugar-cane juice to drink on this day. A great religious ceremony takes place at Hastinapur in the chapel erected in 1978 with the statues of Rşabha and Śreyāṁsa and dedicated to the end of fasts. On the same day the Svetāmbara undertake a pilgrimage to Satruñjaya to render homage to the Yakși of Rşabha, the goddess Cakreśvarī who is thought to help women with their fasts. A temple is dedicated to her for this reason. The 6h day Jains commemorate Abhinandana's Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360