Answer

Jains especially remember Nandishwar Dweep during the sacred period of Ashtanhika Parva.

Ashtanhika is observed three times in the Jain year, traditionally in:

• Kartik month
• Falguna month
• Ashadh month

During these days, Jains worship the 52 Jin temples of Nandishwar Dweep and remember the devotion performed there by celestial beings.

Explanation

In Jain cosmology, Nandishwar Dweep is a sacred island where there are magnificent temples dedicated to the Tirthankars. Human beings cannot physically go there, but according to Jain tradition, heavenly beings go there and perform grand worship of the Jinas.

Because humans cannot visit Nandishwar Dweep directly, Jains remember it through devotion, worship, meditation, and special rituals during Ashtanhika Parva.

Common practices include:

• Nandishwar Dweep Puja
• Ashtanhika Vidhan
• Chaitya Vandan
• Recitation of stavans and stotras connected with Tirthankar bhakti
• Samayik and meditation
• Pratikraman
• Fasting or other tapasya, according to one’s capacity
• Offering rice, flowers, sandalwood, lamps, and other puja materials, according to tradition

Spiritual Understanding

The remembrance of Nandishwar Dweep is not merely about imagining a heavenly place. Its deeper purpose is to awaken:

• Devotion toward the Tirthankars
• Reverence for the Jin temples
• Purity of thought, speech, and action
• Awareness of the soul’s spiritual journey
• Detachment from worldly pleasures

When Jains worship Nandishwar Dweep, they spiritually join the devotion of celestial beings and focus their mind on the qualities of the Jinas: omniscience, non-attachment, compassion, and liberation.

Takeaway

Jains remember Nandishwar Dweep mainly during Ashtanhika Parva, observed three times a year. The practices include puja, vidhan, prayer, fasting, samayik, pratikraman, and devotion to the Tirthankars. Its true purpose is to cultivate purity, reverence, and spiritual upliftment.