Festivals of India - Paryushan - A Jain Festival

Lord Mahavir on stamp issued by Germany in 1979

Hi! India is a country of various cultures, traditions and religions & It's time of different festivals which are being celebrated throughout the country. Recently we celebrated Ganesh Utsav. Now its Onam & one more festival of Jains -Paryushan which is also being celebrated these days. Read about it in the article sent by disinguished philatelist Mr. Pradip Jain from Patna. This festival gives a nice message of love and fraternity to all of us. It is Indian Culture which has a great variety of life style, food, festivals and costumes. We should be proud of it as it happens only in India. Here is a stamp on Lord Mahavir issued by Germany in 1979. Lord Mahavir was the founder of Jainism. In our regular series some se- tenants on important places from the album of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. Till Next Post ..... Have a very Nice Time & Greetings to all in the festive mood of Onam !....

PARYUSHAN : A FESTIVAL OF SELF-RENEWAL
A major Jain festival, explaining how it can heal all our relationships and reinvigorate us to face the future with courage and responsibility. It provides us unique opportunity to raise the quality of our lives.Paryushan or Das Lakshana Parva is the single most important festival in the Jain religion. This year it is observed from 27th August to 14 Sept 2008. The Shvetambar sect observes it for the first 8 days while the Digambar sect observes it for the last 10 days where it is known as Das Lakshana Parva. During these eight or ten days, the entire Jain community becomes engrossed in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and felicity and religion. The purpose of life according to Jain teachings is to realize oneself, to experience wholeness, peace and reverence for all life. Therefore, the real purpose of Paryushan is to purify our soul by observing and correcting our own faults, asking for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and taking vows to minimize our faults. During Paryushan we should strive to minimize our worldly affairs so that we can concentrate on our true-selves.

Generally, festivals are celebrations and jubilation characterized by excitement, enthusiasm, and enjoyment; but the Jain festivals are characterized by renunciation, austerities, study of the scriptures, repetition of holy hymns (sutras/stavans), living a total compassionate life, meditation, and expressing devotion for the Tirthankars. During these pious days we should not become a cause (Nimitta) of suffering for any living being. However recent technological advances have created a new environment for violence not visible to Jain leaders and common people. The use and abuse of animals raised for food and slaughter far exceeds our imagination. The cruelty to dairy (milk) cows and other animals has reached its peak behind the walls of dairy farms and slaughterhouses. At the end of festival next morning before breakfast the fast, every Jain must go personally to everyone he or she can reach on foot and beg for forgiveness and offer forgiveness to acquaintances, friends, relatives and business contacts. To those who cannot be reached personally, a letter is sent, in which we seek forgiveness. Particular attention is paid to people with whom there is some outstanding problem or dispute. Unless and until forgiveness has been exchanged the fast cannot be broken. The Jain Forgiveness Prayer :(Khamemi Savva Jivva) : ? I forgive those who have injured me and I beg for forgiveness from all whom knowingly or unknowingly I may have harmed. I declare friendship with all living beings, I have enimity towards no one.

-PRADIP JAIN

Post Box 128, Mithapur, Patna 800 001. India Ph: 0612 2215929, Email: philapradip@gmail.com

From Se-tenant album of Shrikant Parikh

Theme- Places of Interest

Antarctica

Date of Issue : 23 June 1991

Agra Fort

Date of Issue : 28 November 2004