The Jain community celebrates the day we know as Diwali as the day Lord Mahavira attained freedom from the cycle of rebirth
Shah and her family celebrates Dipalika by visiting their local Derasar and performing traditional rituals. The festival falls on the same day as Diwali, and is the day when Lord Mahavir attained moksha. Pic/Sameer Markande
The basic principle,” says Pandit Kirit Shahari, “is the same everywhere: Coming together to wish the best for your fellow human being. What some call Diwali, we call Dipalika.”
The Jain priest is referring to the festivities of the Jain community on the same day Hindus celebrate Deepavali. While in Hinduism it marks the return of Ram, Lakshman and Sita to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, the Jain community celebrates Dipalika to mark the attainment of moksha—freedom from the cycle of rebirth—by 24th tirthankara Vardhaman Mahavir. Both the Hindu lunar calendar and the Jain panchang, mark Diwali and Dipalika on the same day. This year, it’s November 12.
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Jitendra and Amita Shah offer a laddoo of sugar at their Derasar. The round shape of the laddoo symbolises the human soul, which has no beginning and no end
“We revere 24 Tirthankaras or spiritual gurus in Jainism and Lord Mahavir was the last,” says Diksha Shah, a sports events professional from Kandivli. “It’s said that the entire sky lit up with lights when he attained moksha. So we light diyas in our homes and derasars on this day.”
Mahavir preached in present day Bihar during the reign of King Ajatshatru of the Haryanka dynasty, and attained nirvana at the age of 72 at Pawanpuri in Nalanda. On the spot marking his ascension now stands Jal Mandir, a derasar in the centre of a rectangular water tank.
Pandit Kirit Shahari
As Lord Mahavir is said to have attained moksha at midnight, members of the community gather in derasars on the previous night and herald the day with aartis
and shlokas.
“We conduct a puja and abhishek, after which laddoos are offered to Lord Mahavir,” says Jitendra Jain, a chartered accountant from Malad. “Traditionally, this nirvaan laddoo is made only with sugar, but over the years, people have started offering mawa and boondi laddoos as well. The next morning, we gather at the temple wearing orange dupattas around our shoulders. After another puja and aarti, packets of food are distributed among those present.”
Amidst all the festivity, is also the attempt to emulate the asceticism and sacrifice of Lord Mahavir. While diyas abound, there are no firecrackers, at least by those who still follow conventional customs and traditions. Jains fast on Dipalika as well as on the next day, when Gandhara Gautam, one of Lord Mahavir’s disciples is said to have attained moksha. After the two-day fast, only plain food is consumed till Bhai Dooj.
“We don’t use pans and kadhais during this period, so rotis and puris are out,” says Shah. “We only eat dal, rice, vegetables and fruits. The idea is to pay tribute to the sacrifices that Lord Mahavir made and emulate his simple life.”
Jain adds, “All the rituals are deeply rooted in symbolism. The fourth prahar signifies the end of the old day, and we start our celebrations during the amavasya prior to Diwali. The laddoo, too, is symbolic because of its shape. A circle has no beginning and no end. Similarly, the aatma has no aadi and no anth.”
The day of Gandhara Gautam’s moksha is also celebrated as the Jain New Year. “Just like everybody else, we meet each other, inquire about their health and wish them the best in all aspects for the year to come. Service and brotherhood form the base of all our celebrations,” says Shahari.
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