What is Santhara, the Jain ritual of 'fast unto death' that claimed life of 3-year-old in MP?

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05-05-2025

The death of a three-year-old girl with a brain tumour, shortly after her parents made her observe a Jain fasting ritual, in Madhya Pradesh's Indore has left many shocked. This week, the Golden Book of World Records named Vinaya the 'youngest person in the world to vow the Jain ritual Santhara'. Notably, Santhara is an ancient Jain practice where a person voluntarily gives up food and water, awaiting death as a means to cleanse the soul and attain spiritual liberation read more
A row broke out after a three-year-old girl with a brain tumour died shortly after her parents made her observe a Jain fasting ritual in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.
The girl, Viyana Jain, was their only child. Her parents said she passed away on March 21.
She had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Her parents, who work in the IT sector, followed the advice of their spiritual guide, Jain monk Rajesh Muni Maharaj, before taking this step.
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On March 21, during a visit to the monk, the child was given the Santhara vow with the agreement of her parents. Just minutes later, she died.
In this explainer, we look at what the Jain ritual is, what happened to the girl, and why her death has led to a row.
What is 'Santhara'?
Santhara is an age-old Jain ritual in which a person chooses to give up food and water and peacefully wait for death. It is seen as a way to cleanse the soul and move towards spiritual freedom.
It is also known as 'Sallekhana'. The term sallekhana is formed from sat (truth) and lekhana (to thin or wear away), and it reflects the idea of weakening the body on purpose. Jains believe that this helps remove suffering, which blocks the soul's path to liberation.
This vow is considered a serious religious decision and is based on the idea of penance and letting go of worldly ties to free the soul.
Both monks and laypeople may follow this practice, but it is not taken lightly. It is prominent in the Jain Canon and is strongly encouraged, Hindustan Times reported. However, not everyone is allowed to take this vow at any time.
A Sundara, who heads the Department of Archaeology and Museums in Karnataka, said in his research that Jain texts are clear that Santhara should only be done in certain conditions. These include old age, a serious illness with no cure, or times of extreme hardship like famine, when a person can no longer follow their religious path in regular ways.
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One of the oldest Jain texts that mentions this is Ratnakaranda Shravakachara, written by Samantabhadra in the 4th century AD. It explains how the vow should be taken and under what conditions.
According to the text, a person must remain calm, give up all personal belongings, and emotionally distance themselves from their loved ones. They should forgive everyone, seek forgiveness, and feel regret for any wrongs they have done.
With a clear and peaceful mind, they are then expected to pray and slowly stop eating and drinking, continuing this fast until death.
Is Santhara legal?
The debate around Santhara intensified in legal and religious circles in 2015 after the Rajasthan High Court ruled it a punishable offence under sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 309 (attempt to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
This decision led to strong opposition from the Jain community, who consider Santhara a sacred and age-old religious practice.
Later in 2015, the Supreme Court put the Rajasthan High Court's order on hold. It took note of petitions filed by the Jain community and recognised Santhara as a separate religious practice.
The row over the child's death in Indore
This week, the Golden Book of World Records named Vinaya the 'youngest person in the world to vow the Jain ritual Santhara.' Her parents, Piyush and Varsha Jain, said they followed the advice of their spiritual guide.
Both parents work in the Information Technology (IT) sector and said they chose the Santhara path for their daughter after consulting a Jain monk.
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Piyush Jain, the father, told PTI, 'My daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January this year. She underwent surgery, following which her health improved. But in March, her condition deteriorated and she started facing difficulty in consuming food and drinking.'
The Golden Book of World Records named Vinaya the 'youngest person in the world to vow the Jain ritual Santhara'. Image: X
On the night of March 21, he took his seriously ill daughter to visit Jain monk Rajesh Muni Maharaj along with other family members.
'Maharaj ji saw my daughter's condition and told us that the girl's end is near and she should be given the Santhara vow. This fast holds a lot of significance in Jainism. After thinking about it, we finally agreed to go for it,' he said.
He said his daughter passed away within minutes of the monk completing the Santhara rituals.
Her mother, Varsha Jain, said, 'I cannot describe how difficult the decision was to make my daughter take the Santhara vow. My daughter was suffering a lot due to the brain tumour. It was very painful for me to see her in this condition.'
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Speaking of Viyana, she became emotional and said, 'I want my daughter to always be happy in her next birth.'
Omkar Singh, a member of the Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Commission, told HT, 'This is a religious practice meant for fully conscious adults, typically the elderly.'
'The toddler could not have possibly consented. We are examining whether this constitutes a violation of child protection laws and will act accordingly.'
A senior doctor familiar with the case told the publication, 'She should have been in a hospital receiving palliative care.'
With inputs from agencies