Diwali at Pawapuri
For Jains, Diwali is the night Mahavira attained nirvana — here
What it is
Jains keep Diwali as the anniversary of Mahavira's nirvana, which happened at Pawapuri. The Jal Mandir, the white marble temple standing in the middle of a lotus lake on the site of his cremation, is lit and circled through the night, and the morning after is the Jain new year.
Why it matters
The same festival the rest of India keeps for Rama's return is kept here for something else entirely, at the exact place it is said to have happened. Very few non-Jain visitors know this.
How it works
- Stay at Nalanda, Rajgir or Biharsharif — Pawapuri has very few rooms.
- The causeway to the Jal Mandir is crossed on foot.
- Come for the evening; the lake and the lamps are the point.
- Who it is for
- Anybody, respectfully. The temple is open to visitors.
- Best season
- Oct - Nov
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Free. Rooms in the area are scarce that week.
- When
- Diwali — October or November
- Booking
- Rooms, two months ahead.
- Book ahead
- Two months
- Languages
- Hindi, Gujarati, English
Rules
- No leather at all — belts, wallets, straps
- Shoes off at the causeway
- Photography is restricted inside the shrine
Where
- Pavapuri (Jal Mandir): Where Bhagwan Mahavira attained nirvana
- Gaon Mandir, Pawapuri: It marks the exact place of Mahavira's nirvana
- Samosharan Temple, Pawapuri: Pilgrims come to the spot of Mahavira's last preaching assembly, usually in the same visit as the Jal...
- Jain temples, Kundalpur: Digambara Jains come because they hold this to be Kundgram, the birthplace of Mahavira
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