The Jain Calendar
The regular festivals of the Jain year follow the
traditional Indian calendar so the dates vary somewhat from year to year
in the European calendar. Each Indian month is divided into the bright
half (when the moon is waxing) and the dark half, and the days are
numbered within each half-month. The Indian months are given below
alongside the European months within which they fall. The year is often
given according to the Vikram Samvat era which commenced in 57 B.C.
(abbreviated V.S.) or, in Jain circles, according to the Ira Nirvana
Samvat, commencing with Mahavira's nirvana in 527 B.C. It must be
remembered that the Indian New Year falls around October in the European
calendar.
The table below shows the more important dates in the
Jain calendar. Jains also remember the five great events in the life of
each Tirthankara (conception, birth, renunciation, omniscience, moksa).
These occasions are kept as days of fasting, semi-fasting or other
religious activities. Although more than one commemoration may fall on the
same day, they are too numerous to have been included here. In addition,
pious Jains fast partially or totally on the 2nd., Sth., 8th., 1 lth., and
14th. day of each half-month, or engage in other religious activities.
Jain Festivals And Holy Days
Indian Falling Bright Day Festival
month within or Dark
European half
months
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Karttika Oct/Nov Br 1 New Year (Gautama's omniscience;
Start of accounting year for Jain businessmen)
Br 5 Jnana Pancham (adoration of knowledge
Br 8-15 Karttiki Atthai (eight-day fasting and worship,
particularly of the siddhachakra)
Br 14 Four-monthly Chaturdashi (marked by pratikraman,
repentance, ritual)
Br 15 End of Chaturmas, four month rainy season
retreat: monks move out. Pilgrimage to Satrunjay resumes after being
discontinued during rainy season. *
Dk 10 Mahavira’s Renunciation
Margasirsa Nov/Dec Br 11 Maunagiyaras (day of silence)
Pausa Dec/Jan Dk 13 Rsabha's Moksa
Magha Jan/Feb Within this month 15 days are devoted to
19 great events relating to 14 Tirthankara
Phalguna Feb/Mar Br 8-15 Phalguni Atthai (eight day
fasting and worship)
Br 14 Four-monthly Chaturdashi
Caitra Mar/Apr Br 7-15 Oli(nine-daysemi-fast)
Br 13 Mahavira Jayanti (Birth of Mahavira)
Br 15 An important date for pilgrimage to Satrunjay*
Vaisakh Apr/May Br 3 Aksaya Trutiya (Rsabha broke his
one-year fast with sugar cane juice and modern devotees do the same)
Br 10 Mahavira's Omniscience
Dk 13 Shantinatha's Birth and Moksa
Dk 14 Shantinatha's Renunciation
Jyaistha May/Jun Within this month 7 great events
relating to 6 Tirthankara are celebrated
Asadha Jun/Jul Br 6 Mahavira's Conception
Br 8-15 Asadhi Atthai (eight-day fasting and worship)
Br 14 Four-monthly Chaturdashi
Sravana Jul/Aug Dk 12 Beginning of eight-day Paryusana
(Svetambara)
Dk 15 Public reading of life of Mahavira from the Kalpa
Sutra
Bhadrapada Aug/Sept Br 1 Reading of Mahavira's birth
from the Kalpa Sutra
Br 4 Samvatsari (last day of Paryusana, nearly all
Jains fast, annual confession and forgiveness)
Br 5-14 Paryusana (Digambara)
Asvina Sept/Oct Br 7-15 Oli (nine-day semi-fast)
Dk 14 Roopa Chaturdashi (or Chhoti Diwali) (followers
came for last sight of Mahavira as he commenced his last sermon)
Dk 15 Diwali (Mahavira's Moksa: worship of Mahavira in
the morning general illumination at night to symbolize the light of
knowledge)
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