Articles & Blog
207 articles
Attham and Chhath: Fasts of Two and Three Days
Multi-day fasts such as Attham and Chhath deepen the discipline of ordinary fasting, undertaken especially during Paryushana and other sacre...
Diksha: The Ceremony of Monastic Initiation
When a person renounces the world to become a Jain monk or nun, the community gathers for the solemn and joyful ceremony of Diksha.
The Jain Calendar and the Vira Nirvana Era
Jains reckon time by the Vira Nirvana Samvat, an era counted from the liberation of Mahavira and among the oldest continuously used calendar...
Rohini Vrat: A Vow for Well-Being and Restraint
Observed when the lunar mansion of Rohini prevails, this recurring vow of fasting and worship is kept especially by women across many months...
Meru Trayodashi and the Liberation of Adinatha
This winter observance commemorates the final liberation of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, atop Mount Ashtapada.
Ananta Chaturdashi and the Fourteen-Knot Vow
Falling within the Das Lakshana festival, Ananta Chaturdashi is a day of fasting and worship devoted to the endless qualities of the liberat...
Sallekhana: The Solemn Vow of Peaceful Departure
Sallekhana is the revered practice of embracing death through gradual withdrawal from food when the body can no longer serve the spiritual p...
Ahara Dana: The Offering of Food to Ascetics
The alms-giving by which laypeople offer pure food to wandering monks and nuns is among the most cherished acts of merit in Jain life.
Palitana and the Ninety-Nine Yatra
The temple hills of Palitana draw pilgrims to one of Jainism's holiest sites, and the devout undertake the arduous ninety-nine-fold pilgrima...
Pavapuri and the Water Temple of Liberation
At Pavapuri, where Mahavira attained nirvana, the Jal Mandir rises from a lotus-filled tank as one of Jainism's most revered pilgrimage site...
The Navkar Mantra: The Great Recitation
The Navkar Mantra, homage to the five supreme beings, is the most fundamental prayer of Jainism, recited daily and in great communal gatheri...
Ahimsa Day and the Message of Non-Violence
Jain communities champion non-violence through awareness campaigns and observances that carry the principle of ahimsa beyond the temple into...