GUDI PADAWA FESTIVAL
In Jainism, Gudi Padwa is not a Jain religious festival.
- It is mainly a regional / cultural festival, especially in Maharashtra and nearby areas.
- It marks the beginning of the Chaitra month and is celebrated as a kind of New Year according to the local Hindu calendar, not the Jain calendar.
From a Jain point of view:
- A Jain may take part in Gudi Padwa as a social or cultural event (family gathering, good wishes, cleanliness, simple food, etc.).
- But it does not have any special Jain religious importance, vows, or rituals attached to it.
- The Jain New Year is different – it comes around Diwali time, the day after Bhagwan Mahavir’s Nirvan (usually Kartik Sud 1), and is spiritually connected with Jain history and scriptures.