Jain holidays and festivals largely revolve around important events (such as births and deaths) in the lives of the thirthnkaras, or saints. Each of the three Jain sects may celebrate slightly different festivals- so not all Jains will celebrate every holiday.
•Akshaya Tritiya: A day of fasting and pilgrimage. Those who fast are ritually rewarded with sugar cane juice. Often participants vow to abstain from unboiled water for the rest of their lives. The ritual is meant to honor the first thirthankara, Rsabhanatha, who is said to have broken an extensive fast with sugar cane juice received from the hands of Prince Sreyamskumar. (May 2nd)
•Anant Chaturdashi: Digambara Jains celebrate this during Paryushan. It involves austerities, special worship, and often a procession to the community’s main temple. (August 29th)
•Bhai Beej: Called the Festival of Brothers, this holiday is somewhat like the Hindu Raksha Bandhan. According to tradition, the brother of Shraman Bhagawan Mahavir was sad when the latter achieved nirvana, so his sister, Sudarshana, took him to her house for comfort. (October 25th)
•Dashalakshani Parva: Part of the Paryushan festival (August 30th)
•Diwali: This is India’s annual festival of lights, celebrated throughout the nation. The Diwali holiday has additional importance to Jains, who celebrate it as the day that Mahavira achieved nirvana / salvation. Diwali is the beginning of the Jains’ new business year, so on this day, old accounts are settled and new accounts opened. Some businessmen (depending upon sect) may buy new account books on this day and worship them along with an image of Lakshmi and other material possessions as part of a ceremony. However, this facet is not universal, since some Jain sects consider it idolatrous. It seems more of a carryover from the Hindu traditions for Diwali. Hymns, fasting, and meditations are, however, common means of celebrating this important holiday. (October 23rd)
•Jnan Panchami: Worship of pure knowledge. Jnan Panchami takes place five days after Diwali and is celebrated in reverence for Jain scriptures, the Agamas. On this day, fasting, meditation, atonement, worship of the holy books, and holy recitation take place. (October 28th)
•Lokashah Jayanti: A time to celebrate scholarly people. This festival honors the 15th century reformer Lonka Saha who founded the Sthanakvasi sect of Jains, opposed to temple worship and the use of idols of any sort. (November 17th)
•Mahavir Jayanti: Celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the 24th and last thirthankara and the greatest Jain prophet. According to some Jain tradition (not all), Mahavir was conceived by Rishabhdeva, a Brahmin wife, but was supernaturally transferred to the womb of Trishala, wife of the ruler Siddhartha. Although this seems confusing given a Jainist assertion that supernatural forces are nonexistent, it is part of a tradition tying him to a long cycle of thirthankara rebirths. In any case, Trishala Devi and King Siddhartha were Kshatriyas and pious Jains who had been taught by the 23rd thirthankara, Parswanatha. On Mahavir Jayanti, there are parades, celebrations, and sharing of the faith. (April 14th)
•Paryushan: A festival of fasts and spiritual awareness held for 8 to 10 days. All Jains are expected to fast at least the final day, but many will fast longer — for the entire duration of the festival. Another aspect of this holiday is the asking of forgiveness from friends and relatives for both intentional and unintentional wrongs. This is the Samvatsarik Pratikraman, or annual atonement. Paryushana is a major Jain festival emphasizing ahimsa, reading of the scriptures, a focus on salvation, preservation of animal life, and symbolic cleansing. (August 30th)
•Samvatsari: Known as the Festival of Forgiveness, Samvatsari (or Samvatsara) is celebrated by Digambaras as the last day of the festival of Paryushan, and the holiest day of the year. (August 29th)
•Akshaya Tritiya: A day of fasting and pilgrimage. Those who fast are ritually rewarded with sugar cane juice. Often participants vow to abstain from unboiled water for the rest of their lives. The ritual is meant to honor the first thirthankara, Rsabhanatha, who is said to have broken an extensive fast with sugar cane juice received from the hands of Prince Sreyamskumar. (May 2nd)
•Anant Chaturdashi: Digambara Jains celebrate this during Paryushan. It involves austerities, special worship, and often a procession to the community’s main temple. (August 29th)
•Bhai Beej: Called the Festival of Brothers, this holiday is somewhat like the Hindu Raksha Bandhan. According to tradition, the brother of Shraman Bhagawan Mahavir was sad when the latter achieved nirvana, so his sister, Sudarshana, took him to her house for comfort. (October 25th)
•Dashalakshani Parva: Part of the Paryushan festival (August 30th)
•Diwali: This is India’s annual festival of lights, celebrated throughout the nation. The Diwali holiday has additional importance to Jains, who celebrate it as the day that Mahavira achieved nirvana / salvation. Diwali is the beginning of the Jains’ new business year, so on this day, old accounts are settled and new accounts opened. Some businessmen (depending upon sect) may buy new account books on this day and worship them along with an image of Lakshmi and other material possessions as part of a ceremony. However, this facet is not universal, since some Jain sects consider it idolatrous. It seems more of a carryover from the Hindu traditions for Diwali. Hymns, fasting, and meditations are, however, common means of celebrating this important holiday. (October 23rd)
•Jnan Panchami: Worship of pure knowledge. Jnan Panchami takes place five days after Diwali and is celebrated in reverence for Jain scriptures, the Agamas. On this day, fasting, meditation, atonement, worship of the holy books, and holy recitation take place. (October 28th)
•Lokashah Jayanti: A time to celebrate scholarly people. This festival honors the 15th century reformer Lonka Saha who founded the Sthanakvasi sect of Jains, opposed to temple worship and the use of idols of any sort. (November 17th)
•Mahavir Jayanti: Celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the 24th and last thirthankara and the greatest Jain prophet. According to some Jain tradition (not all), Mahavir was conceived by Rishabhdeva, a Brahmin wife, but was supernaturally transferred to the womb of Trishala, wife of the ruler Siddhartha. Although this seems confusing given a Jainist assertion that supernatural forces are nonexistent, it is part of a tradition tying him to a long cycle of thirthankara rebirths. In any case, Trishala Devi and King Siddhartha were Kshatriyas and pious Jains who had been taught by the 23rd thirthankara, Parswanatha. On Mahavir Jayanti, there are parades, celebrations, and sharing of the faith. (April 14th)
•Paryushan: A festival of fasts and spiritual awareness held for 8 to 10 days. All Jains are expected to fast at least the final day, but many will fast longer — for the entire duration of the festival. Another aspect of this holiday is the asking of forgiveness from friends and relatives for both intentional and unintentional wrongs. This is the Samvatsarik Pratikraman, or annual atonement. Paryushana is a major Jain festival emphasizing ahimsa, reading of the scriptures, a focus on salvation, preservation of animal life, and symbolic cleansing. (August 30th)
•Samvatsari: Known as the Festival of Forgiveness, Samvatsari (or Samvatsara) is celebrated by Digambaras as the last day of the festival of Paryushan, and the holiest day of the year. (August 29th)