Jain Paryushan is one of the most important Jain religious observances of the year. The festival of Jainism is called the king of festivals in India and around the world. This year the Jain Paryushan will start on Wednesday, 24th August 2022, for Shwetambar Jains, and for Digambar Jains, it will commence on Wednesday, 31st August 2022. 

The Jain festival starts in mid-June every year, where all over the globe, people start almost 120-day fasting, a period where they pray and do penance, known as “Chaumasa”. By the end of this long festival, just eight days before Ganesh Chaturthi starts ‘Jain Paryushan’ is regarded as an ultimate Tapasya and resistance to worldly temptations. During these eight days, Jains increase their level of spiritual intensity by performing fasts and meditation to help.

As Gujarat has the highest number of people in the Jain community, last year in 2021, the Gujarat government urged slaughterhouses to remain close in cities and towns during Jain festivals. 

What is Paryushan?

Paryushan is a festival of forgiveness, the literal word meaning of Paryushan is ‘abiding’ or ‘coming together ‘. 

Every year Paryushan is observed in ‘Bhadrapad, month. The festival occurs between the fifth and fourteenth day of the bright fortnight, the period called Shukla Paksha, as per the Hindu Calendar.

The ultimate goal of this festival is to attain Nirvana or Salvation for the soul. Jain monks and nuns also stop their travels and prefer staying with the community during these days. They guide the locals onto the path of spiritual wisdom and impart their knowledge to them.

Generally, the Shwetambar Jains observe the festival for eight days, while the Digambar Jains observe Paryushan for ten days. The festival is taken as a time of intensive study, reflection, and purification.

Digambar Jains address Paryushan Parv with the Daslakshan festival. The importance of fasting is the highest in Jain society, as it purifies the human body and helps to stay unattached to worldly temptations.

Routine Followed by Jains during the festival

• During this period, Jain people indulge themselves in daily meditation and prayer.
• Attending ‘Vyakhyans’ delivered by various monks and nuns is a must.
• Jains tend to finish their meals before sunset and drink boiled water exclusively.
• During this period, observers eat a much simpler diet and avoid eating green vegetables.
• Potatoes, onion, garlic, and ginger are not consumed since eating them entails killing the entire plant. Also, these food are considered taboo because of the body heat that they produce.
• During Paryushan, Jains uphold peace and non-violence.
• For the eight days, every evening Jains collect and practice Pratikraman, it is a ritual during which Jains repent for their sins and non-meritorious activities committed knowingly or inadvertently during their daily life through thought, speech, or action.

Paryushan 2022: 8 Days Puja and Pratikraman details.

24th August 2022: The body composition of the Lord will happen.

25th August 2022: Potha Ji’s Varghoda (Procession) will proceed.

 26th August 2022: Kalpasutra Pravachan 

27th August 2022: The birthday reading festival of Lord Mahavir Swami.

28th August 2022: The program of Prabhu’s school will work.

29th August 2022: Kalpasutra reading.

30th August 2022: Various programs will be there, like Barsa Sutra Darshan, discourse on Chaitya tradition (it involves daily visits to temples and pilgrimage to holy places.), Samvatsari, Pratikraman, etc.

31st August 2022: Collective forgiveness will be celebrated.

1st September 2022: Samvatsari Day Celebration, on this day the festival ends.

Importance of Paryushan: Energy, Prosperity, Content, and Forgiveness

1. The festival aims to destroy all the negative thinking, energy, and habits of mind. Paryushan is also known as Parv Dhiraj. During the period, Jain devotees tend to emphasize the basic vows like Right knowledge, Right Faith, and Right Conduct.
2. Paryushan festival is to destroy all negative thoughts and bad habits in their minds.
3. Fasting for up to 31 days, living only on boiled water, which can only be consumed before sunrise and after sunset, leads to the culmination of ultimate energy in Jain households during this 8-day festival.
4. Penance is given much importance during this festival.
5. Along with penance, there is also joy and prosperity all around.
6. Hand-made diyas in many temples, though burning dim, light up the hearts of many.
7. Forgiveness is another feeling that is given importance. Jains are seen as abiding by the principle,
8. “Our love extends to all human beings, and our hatred is non-existent. We wish prosperity for everyone and happiness in this world.”
9. On this very thought, We’d like to say ‘Michhammi Dukkadam’ to every reader out there, and We wish all of you a happy and prosperous life ahead.

Mahavir Jayanti

One of the days is eight-day Paryushan, the fifth day is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti’. Mahavir Swami was one of the 24 Jain Tirthankars.

The fourth day is when the Jain Sadhus and Sadhvis begin reading scriptures from the Kalpa Sutra, which records the 14 dreams Mahavir’s mother had before his birth, and the story of his birth, life, and ultimate salvation.

Samvatsari and Pratikaman

As Jainism has two sects – Shwetambar and Digambaras.

For Shwetambar, Samvatsari is the 8th day of Paryushan, and for Digambaras, Samvatsari is the 10th day of the festival. The festival every year ends with Samvatsari where Jain people extend forgiveness to everyone around on the last day of Paryushan.

After their Pratikraman i.e. meditation that lasts almost 2 and a half hours, a Jain usually says ‘Micchhami Dukkadam’, seeking forgiveness for any wrong, he/she might have consciously or unconsciously committed.

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