Rally, Demand for Holiday Mark Mahavir Jayanti
Patna: April 18, 2008
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Mahavir Jayanti Celebrated
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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The Jain community in Patna on Friday took out a rally to mark the birth of Lord Mahavir while also pressing for their demand of declaring the Mahavir Jayanti a state holiday since Mahavir was born in the state of Bihar.
The rally was taken out from the Jain Temple in Mithapur and after covering R-Block, Bir Chand Patel Marg, Income Tax roundabout, Dak Bungalow Crossing, Exhibition Road, Bakerganj, Kadam Kuan, arrived at the Congress Maidan where it turned into a public meeting.
Pradeep Jain, a senior office-bearer of the Jain Sangh in Patna, expressed his disappointment with the state government for not declaring Mahavir Jayanti a state holiday.
"Jains have only one day in a year to celebrate their faith and that too was taken away by the state government. This is highly troubling since Bihar is the birth place of Lord Mahavir," Pradeep Jain said adding the government was clearly ignoring the religious sentiments of the Jains in Bihar.
Featuring elephants, horses, and local bands, the rally included thousands of devotees chanting religious hymns with women outnumbering men in large number.
Following the rally, the Jains visited the school for blinds and fed the students.
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