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The Jaina era and calendar
The Jainas have traditionally reckoned the era of Mahavira (Virasamvat) to have begun in 528 BCE, the year after Mahavira's death. This era, also known as the Vira-nirvana era is, however, employed by Jaina authors only to indicate the dates of major events in the history of the Jainas (major schisms, councils, compilation of texts, and so on). For all other purposes the Jainas have used the Vikramasamvat (beginning in 58 BCE), prevalent among the Hindus of western India. Thus the holidays described below follow the traditional Hindu calendar (pancanga).
New Year's Day has no special religious significance for the Jainas, since it is not associated with the holy career of the Jina. The birthday of Mahavira (Mahavira-jayanti), the only Jaina holiday recognised by the Government of India, therefore functions as the first of the annual cycle of Jaina festivals.
The festivals
Mahavira-jayanti (April) Mahavira-jayanti, or the celebration of Mahavira's birth, takes place on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon of Caitra. Although the annual festival of confession, the last day of the Paryushana-párva is the holiest, Mahavira-jayanti is the most important festival in social terms. All Jainas, regardless, of sectarian affiliations, come together to celebrate this occasion publicly, taking leave from work and school to participate in the activities.
According to tradition Mahavira was born in 599 BCE in Kundagrama, a large city in the kingdom of Vaishali (near modern Patna in the state of Bihar). His father, named Siddhartha, is said to have been a warrior chieftain of the Jnatri clan. His mother, Trishala, was the sister of the ruler of Vaishali. The Jaina myths say that five events in the life of a Jina are the most aupicious occasions (kalyanas), on which the gods come down to earth and attend upon him. His descent from heaven into his mother's womb (garbha) is the first occasion. At this time his mother has sixteen dreams, in which she sees sixteen auspicious objects, such as a white elephant, a lion, the full moon, the rising sun, an ocean of milk, and so on. The second auspicious event is his birth (janma). Indra, the king of gods, and his consort, Indrani, come down to the royal palace and transport the baby to Mount Meru, the centre of the Jaina universe, and sprinkle him with water from all the oceans. Thus they declare the advent of a new Tirthankara.
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