Guwahati (Assam), 6 April 2020: Amid coronavirus scare, the Jain community of Guwahati celebrated the festival of Mahavir Jayanti with a twist this year.
They distributed dry ration to 4000 families across parts of Assam to help them fight the pandemic. They also clapped hands and rang bells at 8AM on April 6 from their own windows/ balcony to mark the occasion. In the evening, the members of the Jain community performed ‘aarti’ at the confines of their own homes.
Jain temples remained closed amid the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to arrest the rise of coronavirus infections.
Mahavir Jayanti or Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. It celebrates the birth of Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of present Avasarpiṇī.
To celebrate the same, every year, members of the Jain community visit the temple to seek God’s blessings, followed by a massive rally in the city. – News Courtesy: Guwahatiplus.com