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NDTV
7 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Paryushan 2025 Explained: Jain Food Rules, Health Benefits, And Sattvic Recipes To Try
As the Jain community prepares to observe Paryushan 2025 from August 21 to August 28, kitchens across India begin to reflect the spirit of simplicity, purity, and mindfulness. At its core, Paryushan is a deeply spiritual retreat marked by introspection, forgiveness, and non-violence. Food plays a quiet yet significant role in this period. From sattvic meals to vrat-friendly dishes, every bite is a reflection of compassion and restraint. Whether you are observing the rituals or simply curious about Jain cuisine, here is a guide that looks into the culinary customs of Paryushan. Expect wholesome recipes, gentle flavours, and meals that nourish both body and soul, prepared without onion, garlic, or root vegetables. What Is Paryushan And Why Is It Celebrated? Paryushan Parva, often called the "festival of forgiveness", is one of the most sacred observances in Jainism. Celebrated annually, it spans eight days for Shwetambar Jains and ten days for Digambar Jains. The word Paryushan comes from "pari" meaning "all sides" and "ushan" meaning "to stay close to the soul". This is a time to pause worldly activities and reflect within. The festival encourages spiritual growth through fasting, meditation, prayer, and self-restraint. It culminates in the ritual of Samvatsari, where Jains say "Micchami Dukkadam" - a heartfelt request for pardon. Significance Of Paryushan Parva: At its heart, Paryushan is about liberation through forgiveness. The teachings of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara, guide this period. His principles - Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and Anuvrat (small vows) - are not just philosophical ideals but practices followed closely during Paryushan. Devotees engage in Pratikraman, a ritual of introspection and repentance. They read sacred Jain texts, chant mantras, and meditate to cleanse the mind and soul. Mahavir Jayanti And Its Connection To Paryushan: Though Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated in April, its essence is interwoven into Paryushan. On the fifth day, Jains observe Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Vanchan, a ceremonial reading of Lord Mahavir's birth story. During Paryushan, followers live by his teachings in every aspect, from food choices to daily conduct, reinforcing the idea that spiritual practice is not limited to rituals but reflected in everyday living. Paryushan Rules Around Food: What To Avoid And Why? One of the most striking aspects of Paryushan is the discipline around food. Jain dietary rules are rooted in Ahimsa, which means avoiding harm to any living being. This includes avoiding root vegetables such as onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots, as uprooting them kills the plant and disturbs soil organisms. Leafy greens are avoided on certain days as they may harbour small organisms. Fermented foods are skipped as they are considered to contain micro-organisms. Food is eaten before sunset so that no harm is caused to insects at night and digestion remains light. These rules ensure meals are sattvic, pure, and aligned with the spirit of compassion. Health Benefits Of A Jain Diet During Paryushan: Beyond its spiritual significance, the Jain diet during Paryushan has practical health benefits. Eating early in the evening improves digestion and supports circadian health. Avoiding heavy spices and fried foods reduces acidity and bloating. A sattvic diet, rich in fruits, whole grains, and light dals, promotes gut health and leaves the body energised rather than sluggish. Many also observe fasting in different forms - some on fruit, some on one meal a day, and some even on boiled water only. Fasting gives the body a natural detox while also helping with mental clarity and discipline. Modern Jain-Friendly Food Swaps For Paryushan: While traditional rules are observed, modern kitchens have adapted with clever ingredient swaps that allow variety without breaking guidelines: Replace potatoes with pumpkin or raw bananas in sabzi. Use banana or peanut-based raita instead of curd. Add hing (asafoetida) for depth instead of garlic. Swap refined sugar with jaggery or dates in sweets. These substitutions not only keep food sattvic but also make it easier for younger generations to balance tradition with taste. Paryushan Fasting Vs. Non-Fasting: How People Adapt? Not every Jain follows the same pattern of fasting. While some devotees go on a complete fast with only water, others observe ekasana (eating once a day) or upvas (fruit-based fasting). Many balance by having sattvic meals without onion, garlic, or root vegetables, ensuring they can sustain themselves through work and daily life. This flexibility shows how Paryushan can be adapted without losing its essence. Paryushan 2025: A Simple Meal Plan To Follow The meal plan during Paryushan reflects balance, restraint, and purity. Each meal is prepared with sattvic ingredients that support both fasting and mindfulness. 1. For Breakfast During Paryushan, many devotees choose to fast or eat minimally. For those who do have breakfast, the focus is on light nourishment that supports gut health and detoxification: Warm water with soaked dry fruits Methi dana or jeera water Fresh fruits such as banana, apple, papaya 2. For Lunch Lunch is the most substantial meal, consumed before sunset in line with Jain principles of minimal harm. These meals focus on simple cooking and nourishment to keep the body calm and steady. Plain khichdi with no tadka Sabzi without onion, garlic, or root vegetables such as potato Dal with minimal spices Atta roti without ghee Simple salad with cucumber, tomato, capsicum 3. For Evening Dinner is kept light and simple, often resembling breakfast or lunch but in smaller portions. It is usually consumed before sunset. Simple khichdi or dal rice Sabudana khichdi with rock salt Fresh fruits (not pre-cut or stored) Also Read: Watch: How To Make No-Onion, No-Garlic Gravy For All Indian Curries Traditional Jain Recipes For Paryushan 2025: These sattvic recipes reflect the essence of Paryushan while keeping meals nourishing and wholesome. 1. Sabudana Khichdi: A classic during vrat, sabudana khichdi is light yet filling. Made with soaked sabudana, roasted peanuts, rock salt, and mild spices, it is easy to prepare and keeps you energised. You can also order it through online food delivery apps and savour on-the-go. 2. Kuttu Ka Cheela: Buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta) is gluten-free and easy to digest. You can make cheela using this flour instead of besan and pair it with fresh coriander chutney. 3. Lauki Soup: Bottle gourd (lauki) is hydrating and cooling. Boiled and blended with a pinch of jeera and rock salt, this soup is ideal for breaking a fast. 4. Dal Dhokli: A comforting Rajasthani dish made with dal and atta dumplings, it is wholesome and nutrient-rich. A Jain-style dal dhokli can also be ordered from delivery apps when pressed for time. 5. Bhaat Na Muthiya: A steamed Gujarati delicacy made from leftover rice, atta, and mild spices, it is a perfect instance of zero-waste cooking. These dumplings are shaped by hand and gently steamed, making them light yet satisfying. They require no onion, garlic, or root vegetables and pair well with moong dal or lauki soup. 6. Kela Anar Raita Without Curd: This refreshing side dish skips curd and uses mashed ripe banana and pomegranate seeds, lightly seasoned with rock salt and roasted jeera powder. It is naturally sweet, cooling, and sattvic, ideal for fasting days. The Bottom Line: Paryushan is observed through mindful eating, introspection, and forgiveness. The food served during this period is a reflection of compassion, simplicity, and spiritual discipline. Whether you are observing the festival or interested in Jain cuisine, these recipes, rules, and rituals offer a gentle reminder of inner peace and balance.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Express View on meat bans on Independence Day: Withdraw them
The proposed imposition of meat-sale bans by civic bodies in Maharashtra — from Kalyan Dombivli to Malegaon to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon and Nagpur — on August 15 strikes a jarring note. Citing a 1988 government order as precedent, officials have framed it as a routine measure to maintain 'public order'. But the curbing of personal liberty in the name of decorum, even for a single day, selectively targets communities, threatens livelihoods — and goes against the spirit of celebration of freedom. Not just opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), even Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has questioned the rationale behind the prohibitions (even if he has controversially upheld their necessity on religious occasions): 'While it is important to keep public sentiments and faith in mind on certain occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi or Mahavir Jayanti … there are no reasons why there should be a ban on meat and non-vegetarian food on Maharashtra Day, Independence Day, Republic Day.' CM Devendra Fadnavis has backed his deputy and said his government is 'not interested in (knowing) who eats what.' Unfortunately, however, the imposition of vegetarianism by state diktat is not a Maharashtra-only phenomenon. In Telangana, for instance, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has announced a two-day closure of meat shops, on both Independence Day and Janmashtami (August 16). During the annual Kanwar Yatra or Navratri, in states such as Uttar Pradesh, bans on the sale of meat have become a routine assertion of a state-backed majoritarian impulse, couched as deference to 'public sentiments'. They are an infringement, as Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has termed it, responding to the GHMC's decision, of the 'people's right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition and religion'. That such bans continue to find official favour points to a deeper discomfort with diversity — cultural, religious or culinary — and a political and administrative imagination that is homogenising, and sees the idea of India as a monolith. As India's industrial and commercial nucleus, Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, has long been a bastion of pluralism, sustained by a tapestry of faiths, languages, cuisines, traditions, commerce and aspirations — moving forward not despite, but because of, its diversity. Recent rollbacks by the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra — from caste disclosures on exam hall tickets to the eggless midday meal policy — show that discriminatory decisions can, and should, be reversed before they cause damage. In the same spirit, the meat bans must be withdrawn immediately.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Wrong to ban meat sale in civic areas on Aug 15: Ajit Pawar
MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar Tuesday criticised orders by some civic bodies to shut slaughterhouses and meat shops on Aug 15, calling such bans wrong. "These restrictions are imposed on faith-related occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, or Mahavir Jayanti. Maharashtra has people who eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food," he said. "If it is an emotional issue, people accept it for a day. But imposing it on Maharashtra Day, I-Day, or Republic Day is difficult." Sambhajinagar civic body has ordered closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops on Aug 15 for Gokul Ashtami and on Aug 20 for 'Paryushan Parva', a Jain festival marked by fasting and prayer.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Maharashtra government not interested in regulating people's food choices: CM Fadnavis
The Maharashtra government was not interested in regulating people's food choices, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday (August 13, 2025) and described as 'unnecessary' the raging controversy over closure of abattoirs and meat shops in some cities on Independence Day. He feigned ignorance about the existence of a 37-year-old government resolution (GR) allowing closure of abattoirs on certain days, including Independence Day, and noted municipal corporations take such decisions on their own. Some civic bodies in Maharashtra have ordered the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, triggering a controversy. 'The state government is not interested in (knowing) who eats what. We have many other issues to address,' Mr. Fadnavis told reporters here. 'Some people even went ahead and called vegetarians people as impotent. This nonsense should stop at once,' he said. When asked about some municipal corporations ordering closure of abattoir on August 15, the CM, 'The state never took such a decision. A government resolution (GR) was issued in August 1988. Municipal corporations take such decisions (ordering closure of slaughterhouses) on their own. Even I was not aware of such a GR existing for such a long period.' 'I also learned about it (GR) through the media. Similar decisions were taken when (Shiv Sena UBT leader) Uddhav Thackeray was chief minister of Maharashtra (November 2019-June 22),' he opined. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) expressed displeasure over some civic bodies ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, saying it was wrong to impose such a ban. Such types of restrictions are generally imposed considering faith-related sensitivities on occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Mr. Pawar said. 'It is wrong to impose such a ban. In major cities, people of different castes and religions reside. If it is an emotional issue, then people accept it (ban) for a day. But if you clamp such orders on Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, then it is difficult,' Mr. Pawar told reporters. Civic bodies of Kalyan Dombivali in Thane district near Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur have issued orders directing the closure of meat shops on August 15. There are reports that the Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Nashik district, too, has issued such an order. Nagpur Municipal Corporation announces closure of slaughterhouse The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Wednesday (August 13, 2025) joined the list of civic bodies in Maharashtra to announce the closure of slaughterhouses, outlets and shops selling meat within city limits on August 15 in view of festivals. A few civic bodies in the state have earlier ordered the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, kicking up a political row. Independence Day and Gokul Ashtami, a Hindu festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna, are being celebrated on the same day (August 15) this year. A statement issued by the Nagpur civic body said that on the occasion of Independence Day and Shri Krishna Jayanti (Janmashtami) on Friday (August 15, 2025) all slaughterhouses and meat shops in the city will remain shut. NMC Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department Rajesh Bhagat issued the order on August 12. The order also states that if anyone violates the order, action will be taken against them by the flying squad of the municipal corporation. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation has earlier announced the closure of slaughterhouses, outlets and shops selling meat within the city limits on two days - August 15 and 20 - in view of festivals. It stated the closure was ordered on August 15 on the occasion of Gokul Ashtami, and August 20, which marks the beginning of 'Paryushan Parva' - a key festival of the Jain community characterised by fasting and prayers. The Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district near Mumbai has also directed the closure of meat shops on August 15. There are reports that the Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Nashik district has issued a similar order. Opposition parties in the state have slammed the BJP-led state government over the orders by the civic bodies. NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad has questioned such a ban. 'This is too much. Who are you to decide what people will eat and when?' he had said on X. He also announced that he would host a mutton party that day. Mr. Pawar has also expressed his displeasure over some civic bodies ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and shops.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra government not interested in regulating people's food choices: Fadnavis
The Maharashtra government was not interested in regulating people's food choices, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday and described as 'unnecessary' the raging controversy over closure of abattoirs and meat shops in some cities on Independence Day. He feigned ignorance about the existence of a 37-year-old government resolution (GR) allowing closure of abattoirs on certain days, including Independence Day, and noted municipal corporations take such decisions on their own. Some civic bodies in Maharashtra have ordered the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, triggering a controversy. 'The state government is not interested in (knowing) who eats what. We have many other issues to address,' Fadnavis told reporters here. 'Some people even went ahead and called vegetarian people as impotent. This nonsense should stop at once,' he said. Asked about some municipal corporations ordering closure of abattoir on August 15, the CM, 'The state never took such a decision. A government resolution (GR) was issued in August 1988. Municipal corporations take such decisions (ordering closure of slaughterhouses) on their own. Even I was not aware of such a GR existing for such a long period.' 'I also learned about it (GR) through the media. Similar decisions were taken when (Shiv Sena UBT leader) Uddhav Thackeray was chief minister of Maharashtra (November 2019-June 22),' he opined. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday expressed displeasure over some civic bodies ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, saying it was wrong to impose such a ban. Such types of restrictions are generally imposed considering faith-related sensitivities on occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Pawar said. 'It is wrong to impose such a ban. In major cities, people of different castes and religions reside. If it is an emotional issue, then people accept it (ban) for a day. But if you clamp such orders on Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, then it is difficult,' Pawar told reporters. Civic bodies of Kalyan Dombivali in Thane district near Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur have issued orders directing the closure of meat shops on August 15. There are reports that the Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Nashik district, too, has issued such an order.
