State Pawapuri Mahotsav begins in Nalanda district

The two-day state Pawapuri Mahotsav began in Nalanda district on 7 November 2026, marking the 2,552nd Mahavir Nirvana Mahotsav. Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain attended the event and offered prayers at Pawapuri’s Jal Mandir and Jain temple. The state festival was scheduled for 7 and 8 November alongside religious observances reported for 7–9 November. Pawapuri is revered by Jains as the place where Mahavira attained nirvana.

Notable Points

• Pawapuri Mahotsav: designation and observance: Jain tradition links Mahavira’s nirvana to Diwali night on Kartik Amavasya, when the Pawapuri Nirvana Mahotsav is held. Bihar announced the event as a state festival in 2016 after a request from Jain followers; the two-day Pawapuri Mahotsav has been held annually since 2017.
• Jain literary works on Mahavira: Asaga’s Sanskrit poem Vardhamacharitra, completed in 853 CE, narrates Mahavira’s life. The Kalpa Sutra collects biographies of Tirthankaras, including Mahavira and Parshvanatha.