
Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2026: Mahavir Jayanti, also known as Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak, is one of the most important and sacred festivals in Jainism. It is being celebrated on Tuesday, March 31, this year.
This festival commemorates the birth of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the current time cycle in Jain cosmology.
Lord Mahavir was born as Prince Vardhamana into a royal family to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala in present-day Bihar around 599 BC.
As per the Hindu calendar, Lord Mahavira was born on the 13th day of the month of Chaitra.
At the age of 30, Mahavir renounced all worldly possessions and became a wandering ascetic, seeking spiritual enlightenment. The legend goes that after spending 12 years in exile, he attained âKevala Jnanaâ or omniscience.
Lord Mahavir dedicated his life to the teachings of non-violence, truth, non-stealing, chastity, and non-attachment. He preached that all living beings have a soul and should therefore be treated with love, compassion and respect.
He also stressed the importance of living a simple, peaceful and virtuous life.
In 2026, Mahavir Jayanti will be widely observed on March 31.
Trayodashi Tithi Begins: 07:09 AM, March 30
Trayodashi Tithi Ends: 06:55 AM, March 31
Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2026: 5 Core teachings
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and cultureâadjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fastâmoving news cycles and longer, contextârich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior SubâEditor at Business Standard and earlier as a SubâEditor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multiâplatform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visualsâled stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publicationâs standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, highâimpact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a PostâGraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumerâinternet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longerâhorizon storylines that shape public discourse.
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