Do we do things like pooja of vehicles, putting haar on vehicles, home gates,etc in dushhera?
Answer
In Jain Dharma, Dussehra is not traditionally a Jain ritual festival for doing pooja of vehicles, putting haar on vehicles, or decorating home gates.
These practices are generally part of regional Hindu/customary traditions, especially connected with ideas like Ayudha Puja, victory, prosperity, or auspiciousness.
A Jain may decorate vehicles or the home as a cultural custom, but it should not be understood as a core Jain religious requirement.
Explanation
From a Jain perspective:
- Pooja is mainly offered to Arihant Bhagwan, Siddha Bhagwan, Tirthankars, scriptures, temples, and sacred Jain symbols — not to vehicles or material objects as worship-worthy beings.
- Vehicles, tools, gates, and possessions are worldly objects. Jain Dharma teaches us to use them responsibly, with awareness and non-attachment.
- If someone puts a haar on a vehicle or decorates the house on Dussehra due to family or local tradition, it is a cultural practice, not a Jain religious duty.
Spiritual Understanding
For a Jain, the more meaningful way to observe any day is:
- Do Jin Puja or darshan of Bhagwan.
- Practice Ahimsa in driving and daily life.
- Use vehicles carefully so no living beings are harmed.
- Avoid pride, show-off, and attachment to possessions.
- Do Swadhyay, Samayik, Pratikraman, or charity.
If decorating is done, it should be done simply and without violence, waste, superstition, or attachment.
Takeaway
In Jain Dharma, vehicle pooja or putting haar on vehicles/home gates on Dussehra is not a required Jain practice. If done, it is best seen as a social or cultural custom, while the true Jain focus should remain on Ahimsa, right conduct, devotion to Tirthankars, and detachment from material things.