Paryushana
The most sacred Jain festival — eight days of fasting, prayer, and forgiveness.
✦ Why It Matters
Paryushana ("abiding" or "coming together") is the most important Jain festival, observed in the month of Bhadrapada. It is a time of intensive spiritual practice, self-examination, and seeking forgiveness from all beings. The culminating day is Samvatsari, the "Great Forgiveness Day."
✦ How It Is Observed
Fasting (some fast all 8 days), listening to readings from the Kalpa Sutra, meditation, temple worship, confessing wrongdoings, seeking and granting forgiveness. On Samvatsari, sending letters/messages of forgiveness: "Micchami Dukkadam" — "I ask for forgiveness."
✦ Sacred Text
“All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence. This is the pure, unchangeable, eternal law.”
— Acaranga Sutra 1.4.1 ↗