Answer

In Jain practice, one Chovihar Upvas means:

• Complete fasting for one full day
• No food and no water, if it is a strict upvas
• No eating or drinking after sunset as part of Chovihar discipline

So, simply put:

One Chovihar Upvas = one full-day fast with Chovihar niyam.

Explanation

Chovihar means giving up all four types of intake after sunset:

• Food
• Water
• Milk or other drinks
• Mukhvas or anything taken by mouth

Upvas means staying close to the soul by giving up food and worldly taste for spiritual purification.

In common Jain usage, when someone says “Chovihar Upvas”, it usually means fasting during the day and observing complete Chovihar from sunset until the next morning’s proper time for parna.

Spiritual Understanding

A Chovihar Upvas is not only about avoiding food. Its deeper purpose is:

• Reducing attachment to taste
• Practicing self-control
• Doing pratikraman, samayik, swadhyay, japa, or meditation
• Moving closer to the soul and away from bodily desires

Takeaway

One Chovihar Upvas equals one spiritually disciplined full-day fast, observed with complete restraint from food and water, especially after sunset.