Mahavir Jayanti

The holiday is celebrated on the 13th day of the waxing (rising) half of Hindu month of Caitra which usually occurs in either late March or early April in the Gregorian calendar.

Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Mahavira, a contemporary of the Buddha, and the 24th and last Tirthankara (great sages).

As per Jain texts and religious scripts, Lord Mahavira took birth on the 13th day of waxing moon on the Chaitra month (Hindu calendar) in Kundalagrama (now Kundalpur) in Bihar, a few kilometres from Patna.

That time, Vaishali was considered to be the capital of the state. However, the year of Mahavira's birth is disputed. As per Swetambar Jains, Mahavira was born in 599 BC while the Digambar Jains consider 615 BC as his birth year.

He was named as Vardhaman by his parents – King Siddhartha and Queen Trisala.Mahavir Jayanti is a festival marked with prayers and fasting.

The holiday is especially popular in the eastern state of Bihar, where Mahavira was born near the modern town of Patna. A large celebration is held at the Parasnatha temple, Calcutta.