Paryushan

Paryushan Parva is a major annual festival in Jainism, focusing on penance and purification. It is observed during the monsoon season, in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada. For Śvētāmbara Jains, the festival lasts eight days; Digambara Jains traditionally observe ten days. The last day is Samvatsari, a day of seeking and granting forgiveness, and many Jains exchange Michhami Dukkadam to reconcile with others.

During Paryushan, adherents undertake intensified ritual practices. Central among them are Pratikraman, a confession and repentance for faults committed knowingly or unknowingly; and Samayik, a period of mindfulness meditation. Fasting or partial fasting (upvas) is common, as are increased study of Jain scriptures (Svadhyaya) and vows of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), and aparigraha (non-attachment). Reading and listening to scriptures such as the Kalpa Sutra are customary in many communities, particularly within Digambara temples.

Community observance includes temple prayers, processions, and home rituals. In many places, monastic and lay gatherings organize public discourse and ritual readings. The emphasis throughout is inner purification and moral reorientation, in line with Jain principles of non-violence and self-discipline.

Etymology and timing reflect the festival’s historic link to the monsoon retreat, when monks and nuns traditionally practiced stricter ascetic vows, though today it is observed by lay Jains around the world. The festival ends with forgiveness expressed toward others, completing the cycle of repentance and renewal.