Paryushana Parv is the most important festivals for the Jain community, especially for the Svetambara section. It is an eight-day festival which is celebrated during Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month as per the traditional calendar.
As per the Gregorian calendar, the festival would begin sometime either in August or September. This year, it will start on August 27 and will conclude with Samvatsari Pratikramana or Samvatsari Parva on September 3.
During this auspicious period, Jains offers their prayers, observe a fast, undergo strict penance and do medication to introspect. The word Paryushana means “abiding the rules”
The Jains adhere to the five main vows – Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya ( abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-possession). The Svetamabara Murtipujakas recite the Kalpasutra, a sacred Jain text containing the biographies of Jain TirthankarasParvshvanatha and Mahavira.
During this period, the Svetambaras consume boiled water only between sunrise and sunset and undergo strict penance. And on the last day, known as Kshamavani, devotees seek forgiveness for causing pain either knowingly or unknowingly to other people or living beings.
On this day, Jains commonly use the ancient phrase Micchami Dukkadam to apologize to all those, whom they may have hurt by words or by deeds. It’s a gesture seeking forgiveness irrespective of who they are.
And as far as the Digambara section of Jainism is concerned, a similar period of penance that lasts for ten days is known as Das Lakshana Dharma. The penance period starts during the Shukla Paksha Panchami to the Ananta Chaturdashi in the month of Bhadrapada.
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