Mahavira: The 24th Tirthankara

Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of the present age, was born in 599 BCE in Kundagrama (near modern-day Patna, Bihar). His birth is celebrated as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak.\n\nAfter 12 years of intense asceticism and meditation, he attained Kevala Jnana (omniscience) and spent the rest of his life teaching the path to liberation. He organized the Jain sangha into a four-fold order of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.\n\nMahavira emphasized the equality of all souls and rejected the caste system. His teachings on non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possession continue to guide millions of Jains worldwide.