Jain Calendar 1996
A month-by-month list of the significant Jain festivals and fasting (upvas) days - Paryushan and Samvatsari, Mahavir Jayanti, the twelve Rohini Vrats, the Ashtahnika and Navpad Oli parvas, the Chaumasi Chaudas, Varshi Tap and Mahavir Nirvana - with the date and tithi of each.
The Jain Calendar lists 46 dates in 1996, from Rohini Vrat on 3 January through Rohini Vrat on 23 December. November holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2052 – 2053. 1996 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual. Mahavir Jayanti fell on 1 April, Paryushan began on 10 September, Samvatsari fell on 17 September and Mahavir Nirvana fell on 10 November.
Jain Festivals & Fasting Days
January 1996 Pausha – Magha
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 6:50 PM, Jan 2 – 9:16 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Parshvanath Janma Kalyanak
Tithi 1:11 PM, Jan 15 – 11:08 AM
The birth anniversary (Janma Kalyanak) of Bhagwan Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, on Pausha Krishna Dashami - kept with the Uvasaggaharam Stotra jaap and fasting.
-
Meru Trayodashi
Tithi 5:31 AM – 2:09 AM, Jan 19
The nirvana (moksha) day of the first Tirthankara, Bhagwan Rishabhadeva (Adinatha), venerated with worship of the sacred Mount Meru.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 6:56 AM, Jan 29 – 9:18 AM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
February 1996 Magha – Phalguna
-
Phalguna Ashtahnika Begins Vrat
Tithi 9:05 PM, Feb 24 – 10:20 PM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 10:26 PM, Feb 25 – 12:17 AM, Feb 27
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 12:23 AM – 2:39 AM, Feb 28
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
March 1996 Phalguna – Chaitra
-
Phalguna Chaumasi Chaudas Vrat
Tithi 12:11 PM, Mar 3 – 1:42 PM
The Chaturmasic Chaudas closing one of the three four-month periods, marked by Pratikraman, fasting and penance.
-
Phalguna Ashtahnika Ends Vrat
Tithi 1:47 PM, Mar 4 – 2:54 PM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
-
Varshitapa Arambha Vrat
Tithi 11:48 AM, Mar 12 – 9:43 AM
The beginning of Varshi Tap - a year-long penance of alternate-day fasting commemorating Bhagwan Rishabhadeva's long fast before his first alms.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 2:05 PM, Mar 24 – 3:45 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Chaitra Navapada Oli Begins Vrat
Tithi 3:43 PM, Mar 25 – 5:49 PM
The nine-day Ayambil (Navpad) Oli - a semi-fast venerating the nine supreme entities (Navpad), observed twice a year in Chaitra and Ashwin.
April 1996 Chaitra – Vaishakha
-
Mahavir Swami Jayanti
Tithi 4:26 AM – 5:38 AM, Apr 2
The birth anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, on Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi - celebrated with processions, abhishek and charity.
-
Chaitra Navapada Oli Ends Vrat
Tithi 5:47 AM – 5:52 AM, Apr 4
The nine-day Ayambil (Navpad) Oli - a semi-fast venerating the nine supreme entities (Navpad), observed twice a year in Chaitra and Ashwin.
-
Varshitapa Parana
Tithi 4:17 AM – 4:52 AM, Apr 21
The breaking (parana) of the year-long Varshi Tap with sugarcane juice on Akshaya Tritiya, as Bhagwan Rishabhadeva broke his fast.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 5:07 AM – 6:15 AM, Apr 22
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Mahavira Swami Kevalagyan
Tithi 5:28 PM, Apr 27 – 7:06 PM
The day Bhagwan Mahavira attained Kevala Jnana - infinite knowledge and omniscience.
May 1996 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 6:13 PM, May 18 – 7:37 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Shruta Panchami
Tithi 11:39 PM, May 21 – 1:59 AM, May 23
The Digambara festival venerating the Jain scriptures (Shruta) on Jyeshtha Shukla Panchami - commemorating the day the Shatkhandagama was first written down.
June 1996 Jyeshtha – Ashadha – Ashadha (Adhik)
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 3:58 AM, Jun 14 – 5:27 AM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
July 1996 Ashadha (Adhik) – Ashadha – Shravana
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 1:50 PM, Jul 11 – 3:26 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Ashadha Ashtahnika Begins Vrat
Tithi 10:41 AM, Jul 22 – 11:14 AM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
-
Ashadha Chaumasi Chaudas Vrat
Tithi 11:52 PM, Jul 28 – 8:05 PM
The Chaturmasic Chaudas closing one of the three four-month periods, marked by Pratikraman, fasting and penance.
-
Ashadha Ashtahnika Ends Vrat
Tithi 8:02 PM, Jul 29 – 4:05 PM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
August 1996 Shravana – Bhadrapada
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 12:05 AM – 1:29 AM, Aug 9
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
September 1996 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 11:53 AM, Sep 4 – 1:16 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Paryushana Parvarambha
Tithi 10:13 PM, Sep 9 – 12:38 AM, Sep 11
The start of Paryushan - the holiest eight-day festival of the Jains - of fasting, scriptural study, penance and forgiveness.
-
Samvatsari Parva
Tithi 8:05 AM, Sep 16 – 8:05 AM
The final and holiest day of Paryushan - of Pratikraman and Michhami Dukkadam, seeking forgiveness from every living being.
-
Das Lakshana Parva Begins
Tithi 8:18 AM, Sep 17 – 7:48 AM
The ten-day Digambara festival of the ten supreme virtues (dharma), from Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami to Chaturdashi - the Digambara counterpart of Paryushan.
-
Anant Chaturdashi Vrat
Tithi 2:05 PM, Sep 25 – 11:07 AM
The closing day of Das Lakshana, when the fourteen-knot thread of Ananta is worshipped and the Ananta Vrat is observed on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi.
-
Kshamavani Parva
Tithi 11:00 AM, Sep 26 – 8:20 AM
The Digambara day of universal forgiveness, the day after Das Lakshana - Jains seek and grant pardon with the words Uttam Kshama and Michhami Dukkadam.
October 1996 Ashwina – Kartika
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 2:11 AM – 2:49 AM, Oct 3
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
-
Ashwina Navapada Oli Begins Vrat
Tithi 2:40 PM, Oct 18 – 12:41 PM
The nine-day Ayambil (Navpad) Oli - a semi-fast venerating the nine supreme entities (Navpad), observed twice a year in Chaitra and Ashwin.
-
Ashwina Navapada Oli Ends Vrat
Tithi 9:14 PM, Oct 25 – 7:37 PM
The nine-day Ayambil (Navpad) Oli - a semi-fast venerating the nine supreme entities (Navpad), observed twice a year in Chaitra and Ashwin.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 5:49 PM, Oct 28 – 5:50 PM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
November 1996 Kartika – Margashirsha
-
Mahavir Nirvana (Diwali)
Tithi 11:01 AM, Nov 9 – 10:36 AM
Diwali marks the nirvana (final liberation) of Bhagwan Mahavira at Pavapuri; Jains keep it with fasting, the Nirvana Laddu and recitation of his last sermon.
-
Jain New Year (Vira Nirvana Samvat)
Tithi 10:48 AM, Nov 10 – 9:46 AM
The first day of the Jain Vira Nirvana Samvat year - the morning after Mahavira's nirvana, also the day Gautam Swami attained Kevala Jnana.
-
Bhai Dooj (Bhratri Dwitiya)
Tithi 9:57 AM, Nov 11 – 8:25 AM
Sisters honour their brothers on Kartika Shukla Dwitiya, the day Gautam Swami is said to have visited his sister, closing the Diwali observances.
-
Jnan Panchami (Labh Panchami)
Tithi 2:23 AM – 12:06 AM, Nov 16
Knowledge (Jnan) Panchami - Jain scriptures and the gift of knowledge are venerated; in Gujarat it is also kept as Labh Panchami.
-
Kartika Ashtahnika Begins Vrat
Tithi 9:50 PM, Nov 16 – 7:39 PM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
-
Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas Vrat
Tithi 10:21 AM, Nov 23 – 9:53 AM
The Chaturmasic Chaudas closing one of the three four-month periods, marked by Pratikraman, fasting and penance.
-
Kartika Ratha Yatra
Tithi 9:43 AM, Nov 24 – 9:39 AM
The Kartik Purnima chariot procession (Ratha Yatra) and the great pilgrimage to Shatrunjaya (Palitana), reopened after the Chaturmas.
-
Kartika Ashtahnika Ends Vrat
Tithi 9:43 AM, Nov 24 – 9:39 AM
The eight-day Ashtahnika Parva preceding the Chaumasi, when the Jains venerate the eternal (shashvata) Jina images with collective worship.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 9:28 AM, Nov 25 – 9:53 AM
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
December 1996 Margashirsha – Pausha
-
Maun Ekadashi Vrat
Tithi 12:19 AM – 11:52 PM
The great silent (Maun) fast of Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, on which 150 Kalyanaks of the Tirthankaras are commemorated - kept with silence, fasting and Posaha.
-
Rohini Vrat Vrat
Tithi 12:18 AM – 12:57 AM, Dec 24
A fasting day observed when the Rohini nakshatra prevails - kept mainly by Jain women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. There are twelve Rohini fasting days in a year.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 1996
Beyond the dates the Jain Calendar lists, 1996 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashadha, running from 17 June 1996 to 15 July 1996. Jain New Year (Vira Nirvana Samvat) fell on 11 November, 19 days later in the year than in 1995 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1996
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 3 days after Mahavir Swami Jayanti | Chaitra Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Apr 4:07 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days before Varshitapa Parana | Vaishakha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 27 Sep 8:24 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Kshamavani Parva | Ashwina Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashwina Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1996
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 6:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 26 Dec 8:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Jain Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Jain Calendar list in 1996?
The Jain Calendar lists 46 dates in 1996, of which 31 are vrats. The first is Rohini Vrat on Wednesday, 3 January 1996, and the last is Rohini Vrat on Monday, 23 December 1996.
When was Paryushan in 1996?
Paryushan began on Tuesday, 10 September 1996 and closed on Samvatsari, Tuesday, 17 September 1996.
The Digambara Das Lakshana Parva began on Wednesday, 18 September 1996.
When was Mahavir Jayanti in 1996?
Mahavir Swami Jayanti fell on Monday, 1 April 1996 (Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi), the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavira.
When was Mahavir Nirvana in 1996?
Mahavir Nirvana was observed on Sunday, 10 November 1996, the same day as Diwali.
The Jain New Year (Vira Nirvana Samvat) began the next morning, Monday, 11 November 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Jain Calendar for 1996?
The main observances in 1996 are:
- Mahavir Jayanti - Monday, 1 April 1996
- Paryushan - Tuesday, 10 September 1996
- Samvatsari - Tuesday, 17 September 1996
- Mahavir Nirvana - Sunday, 10 November 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Jain Calendar?
November 1996 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Mahavir Nirvana (Diwali), Jain New Year (Vira Nirvana Samvat), Bhai Dooj (Bhratri Dwitiya), Jnan Panchami (Labh Panchami), Kartika Ashtahnika Begins, Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas, Kartika Ashtahnika Ends, Kartika Ratha Yatra.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Jain Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1996 spans Vikram Samvat 2052 – 2053. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1996 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1996 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 1996 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1996?
1996 had 4 eclipses:
- 4 April 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 April 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 27 September 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 12 October 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1996?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1996:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 16 February 1996
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 26 December 1996
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 1996 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Jain Calendar
A month-by-month list of the significant Jain festivals and fasting (upvas) days - Paryushan and Samvatsari, Mahavir Jayanti, the twelve Rohini Vrats, the Ashtahnika and Navpad Oli parvas, the Chaumasi Chaudas, Varshi Tap and Mahavir Nirvana - with the date and tithi of each.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
