MP: Jains observe 24-hour 'digital fast' by staying away from mobiles, internet during Paryushan Parva

Representative image. Pic/Istock

Amid the increasing use of smartphones in society, some members of the Jain community are now observing a 24-hour "digital fast" during the ongoing Paryushan Parva by staying away from electronic gadgets and the internet in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.

As part of this exercise, around 1,000 members of the community deposited their smartphones for 24 hours at a temple in Begumganj town, some 120 kms from the state capital, on Wednesday morning, a local community leader said.

Paryushan Parva is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Jain community annually for self-purification, introspection and spiritual development. The members of the community participate in the festival by fasting and performing pujas and other religious rituals.

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"People have become addicted to the internet and use smartphones and other gadgets for a long time every day," Akshay Jain, a local Jain community leader, said.

"An initiative of digital fasting or fasting without internet was started so that the people can stay away from this addiction. People switched off their phones and left them at the temple for 24 hours for this fasting," he said.

Talking to PTI, Ajay Jain, a councillor and a prominent leader from the community, said this fast started on Wednesday morning and about 1,000 people are participating in the exercise.

"We are keeping away from all modes of internet including phone, laptops, computers. We have to sacrifice some of the favourite things during the ongoing fasting of Paryushan Parva. So we decided to renounce the internet for 24 hours,¿ he said.

This kind of initiative may possibly continue in future as well, he added.

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