In Jain time‑cosmology, “one āra” does not have a single fixed length. Each half‑cycle of time (utsarpiṇī or avasarpiṇī) has six aras, and every ara lasts for a different duration.

• The first four aras are unimaginably long, measured in the vast units called palyopama and sāgaropama (far beyond ordinary years).
• The last two aras are of human‑comprehensible length: each of these two (the 5th and the 6th) lasts 21,000 years.

Both Digambar and Shvetambar traditions agree on this overall framework. Today (August 25, 2025), according to Jain tradition, we are in the 5th ara of the avasarpiṇī half‑cycle.

If you’d like an easy overview of Jain time cycles and the six aras, see this short primer on Jain time on JainKnowledge.com: