April Festivals

Mahavira Jayanti

This festival is celebrated on the first day of Bhadrapad. There is a grand cradle procession, with great rejoicing to commemorate the birth of Mahavira, the last Tiranthakara. The date on which he was born is however a dispute. According to the Digambara sect, his birth took place in 615 BC, whereas Svetambaras claim that it occurred in 599 BC. The occasion is of special significance to the Jains because he was the 24th and last tiranthakara.

Jain temples dedicated to Mahavira are decorated with flags for the occasion. In the morning the idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the abhishek. It is then placed in a cradle and is taken out on a procession in the neighbourhood. Drummers, boys with silver staves and aarti lamps, bhajan singers, musicians, horses, elephants and tableaux depicting scenes from the life of Mahavira form part of the peagant. It concludes at a temple or a huge ground reserved for the purpose. Many devotees and bystanders participate in the procession. At the temple, people offer ceremonial prayers and meditate.

On his birth anniversary, four kinds of donations are recommended for every Jain: of food called ahar dan, of medicines and equipments called aushad dan, of dispersing knowledge by giving sermons called gyan dan and of protecting people from any bad deeds they might commit called abhay dan.

People refrain from violence of any kind and keep their emotions in control, eating their evening meals before sun sets. They also donate their money, clothes ad grain to the poor. Many Jains orgainse food and drinks for the community. At homes, people make imprints of hands on the walls to bring luck. The hands are dipped in water mixed with vermilion then pressed against the wall to make an impression. The hand symbolises good will and is considered auspicious.

According to Jain mythology, Mahavira had not only performed many good deeds, but had also acquired all the qualities necessary to become a tirthankara in his previous life. Six months before he was to take birth in the mortal world, the Gods and Goddess created an atmosphere conducive to the arrival of a great being. Innumerable Goddesses came down to earth to tend to the need of his expecting mother. There was gold rain from heavens and everyone was rid of poverty and illness.

Just before his birth, at the auspicious hour of four in the morning, Mahavira’s mother Trishala had sixteen dreams. In these she saw a white elephant, a lion, Lakshmi with two elephants at her side showering flowers, the moon lighting the universe with silvery beams, a pair of jumping fish, the radiant sun, a golden pitcher, a lake full of lotus flowers, a calm ocean of milk, a celestial palace, a throne of rubies and diamonds, a celestial king ruling the earth, a garland, a white bull, fragrant Mandara flowers and a vase as tall as Mount Meru, filled with gems.

Immediately after this she felt a white elephant from heaven enter her body through her mouth. At the time of his birth, Mahavira’s mother felt none of the pain or agony of childbirth. It is believed that at the exact moment of the birth, the life forms in all three worlds were cheerful and content. Several Gods and Goddesses descended from the heavens to pay homage to the tirthanakara. They bathed him ceremonially and named him Vardhman, Vir, Mahavira, Ativira and Samvati. The child was of exceptional beauty and developed great physical and spiritual strength. At the age of 30, Vardhman decided to renounce the world. He sat in deep meditation under Ashoka tree for 12 years, before attaining enlightment. All the Gods gathered to watch the great event. At the moment of enlightment, they bore him up and carried him in a palanquin to park where he was put on a five-tiered throne and acknowledged as Mahavira. Here he stripped himself of all his clothes.

Instead of shaving his head, he tore his hair out from the roots, for he was above pain.

According to the Digambaras. Mahavira wore no clothes thereafter but the Svetambars believe that Indra presented him with a white robe. This sect believes that white robes, unlike all other presonal possessions, do not impede the liberation of the soul by getting involved in the cycle of earthly life.

Mahavira preached non-violence and prohibited any kind of killing. He also believed that the most virtuous life is spent sitting still and fasting, as then a man does not run the risk of injuring life even involuntarily, by swallowing or treading upon insects. On his birth anniversary, every Jain resolves to follow his teaching.

Good Friday

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion.

Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.

In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the Crucifixion.

The main service on Good Friday takes place between midday and 3pm. In many churches it takes the form of a meditation based on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, with hymns, prayers, and short sermons.

Baisakhi

Baisakhi, the harvest festival falls on April 13 each year. After the harvesting of the winter crop, farmers in Punjab and Haryana celebrate it to mark the beginning of a new year. And this festival also commemorates the formation of the order of the Khalsa. Baisakhi is the derivative of Vaishakha. The day coincides with the solar equinox on the 13th April.

As history tells us that ninth Guru of Sikhs Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by the Mughals, on November 11, 1675 AD. In revolt against this injustice, his son Guru Gobind Singh, who was also the tenth guru was compelled to take up arms. He selected the auspicious day of Baisakhi to undertake this task by forming the order of Khalsa. On the 13 day of April in 1699 at a meeting in a town called Anandpur in Punjab, the Guru called upon his people to come forward to sacrifice themselves for the good of the clan. No one volunteered during his first appeal. He appealed again. During his third appeal, a thirty-year old man named Daya Ram Khatri stood up and volunteered. The guru took Daya Ram to a tent nearby and returned alone after some time, his sword dripping with blood.

He repeated his call for volunteers for the fourth time. Some people volunteered this time. Some of the volunteers were Dharam Das, a Jat from Delhi, Mokhan Chand, a washerman from Dwarka, Sahib Chand a barber from Bidar and Himmat Rai, a water carrier from Jagannath. Each of them went with him to the tent and everytime he returned alone with his bloodied sword.

The Guru went to the tent once again and this time for a long duration. He reappeared with the five men clad in saffron-coloured garments. The crowd was astonished for it had assumed them to be dead. They sat on the dais made for the occasion, while the Guru prepared the water to bless them. In an iron vessel, he stirred the batasha that his wife, Mata Jitoji had put into the water with a sword called Khanda Sahib, while verses from their scriptures were recited by the congregation. The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called amrita.

It was first given to the five volunteers, then drunk by the Guru and later distributed to the crowd. All those present, irrespective of caste and creed became members of the Khalsa Pantha. This was also a great step in national integration because society at that time was divided on the basis of caste, religion and social status.

Those who had offered their lives where christened as Panch Pyare. They were directed by Guru to wear the five K’s: kesha or long hair, kangha or comb, kripan or dagger, kacha or shorts and a kara or braclet. He discontinued the Gurus and all Sikhs to follow the Granth Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and beards unshorn to get baptized by sword. The suffix Singh derived from the Sanskrit word singha meaning lion was added to the name of all male Sikhs, while the women were to call themselves Kaur, assistants to the Singh.

To pay tribute to this event prayer meetings are organised in gurudwaras across the country. The main celebration however, takes place at Anandpur Sahib where the order was formed. At about 4 o’clock in the morning the Guru Granth Sahib is ceremonially taken out from its resting chambers.

After a symbolic bath with water and milk it is placed on the throne. Priests then called the Panch Pyare then chant the verses that were recited by the original Panch Pyare when the order was created. Called the Panch Bani, these prayers include Jabji Sahib, Jap Sahib, Sudha Savahiye, Chow Payee Sahib and Anantpur Sahib. While the Panch Bani is being chanted, amrita is prepared in an iron vessel as was done by Guru Gobind Singh. Devotees sip the amrita five times and vow to work for the Khalsa Panth. At noon, after the ardas, the Karah Prasad is offered to the Guru for his blessings. It is then distributed to the congregation. They eat the prasad, before proceeding to participate in the guru ka langar.

Believers perform kar seva. Shabads and kirtan are sung all day long to honour Guru Gobind Singh and the beloved five.