Mahavir Jayanti: Date, history, significance, all you need to know

Mahavir Jayanti is a pious festival in Jainism, celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Mahavira. Jains across the world celebrate the birth of the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. This year Mahavir Jayanti will be celebrated on Sunday (April 25).

Lord Mahavira was the third child of King Siddhartha
and Queen Trishala and was born in about 599 BC in Kundalagrama in Vaishali
district in Bihar.

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Originally Mahavira’s name was Vardhamana. He left his home
to find the truth in the world and lived an ascetic life, wandering about, begging
for food, and wore minimum clothes.

He met several people from various backgrounds and got to
learn about the pain and suffering in the world. He focused on fasting and
meditation and through this process, he found enlightenment. He emphasised ending greed and the limitless pursuit of desires. 

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He taught that ahimsa
(non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya
(chastity) and aparigraha (non-attachment) are necessary to elevate the quality
of life. The teachings of Lord Mahavira were compiled by Gautama Swami and are
known as Jain Agamas.