Achi news desk-
The birthday of Lord Mahabir was celebrated by Jains with great fanfare and religious fervor in Pune. According to tradition, they took out ‘Prabhatpari’ (morning procession).
Women wore saffron clothes and men white clothes in ‘Prabhatpari’. A large number of members of the community participated in the procession which was carried out with the message of “Live and let live”.
On Sunday at around 07:00 AM, a grand procession was organized by the Pune Shri Jain Community Festival Committee in collaboration with all the four sects of Jain Samaj and Associations.
The procession started from Shree Godiji Parswanath Jain Temple, Phulwala Chowk, Bohri Ali, Laxmi Road, Sonya Maruti Chowk, at 8:15 AM, with Hon’ble Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Members of Parliament, MLAs, Corporations, office bearers of various political parties , officials, social, religious and educational dignitaries, as well as distinguished guests, offering strangers to the figure of Mahabir.
The procession route included Shri Godiji Praswanath Jain Temple, Bhandi Bazaar, Lalbhadur Shastri Chowk, Bohri Ali, Sonia Maruti Chowk, Ganesh Peth, Govind Khalwai Chowk, Bordi Bridge, Palvi Vituba Chowk, Shri Shnushwar Parshwanath, Timber Market Gate, Ramushi Gate, Manmohan Parshwanath Temple, and Seven Loves Chowk, ending at Apsara Talkies, Prabhat Press Kataria High School, Laxmi Vilas, Mukundnagar, Sujay Garden, Shivshankar Office, and Satara Road Adinath.
Later, friends reached the Jain temple (Jinalaya) where they performed rituals and hoisted the flag together, chanting ‘Lord Mahabir’. People visited the specially decorated Jain temple early in the morning to pray.
Later, a grand Shouba Yatra was taken out to spread the message of Lord Mahabir “Jio Aur Jeene Do”. The idol of Shriji was placed on a chariot. The procession received a floral welcome along the entire route.
Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. It celebrates the birth of Lord Mahabir, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara.
