About this Holiday
Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, born in Vaishali (present-day Bihar) around 599 BCE. He attained perfect knowledge (Kevala Jnana) after 12.5 years of deep meditation and preached the principles of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). Jain temples across India are decorated and processions (Rath Yatras) carry adorned idols of Mahavira. Jain philosophy's emphasis on non-violence has had a profound influence on Indian culture and Mahatma Gandhi's thought.