Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, is one of the most important religious festival for Jains. It celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara.
According to Jain texts, Mahavira was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13). Mahavira was named ‘Vardhamana’, which means “One who grows”, because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth. Mahavira was born as the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala. During her pregnancy, Trishala was believed to have had a number of auspicious dreams, all signifying the coming of a great soul. It is said that when Queen Trishala gave birth to Mahavira, Indra, the head of heavenly beings (Dev) performed a ritual called abhisheka, this being the second of five auspicious events (Panch Kalyanakas) known as Janma Kalyanak.
On this day many devotees from the Jain community of Greater Baltimore Hindu Temple community visit temple to meditate and offer prayers. The ceremonial bath are given to the statues of Lord Mahavira. During the day, most members jain community engage in some sort of charitable act. Lectures by jain scholars when convenient are held in temple to promote of virtue as defined by Jainism. Donations are collected in order to promote charitable missions like saving cows from slaughter or helping to feed poor people. Children form Balvihar prepares and donate vegetarian food to poor people.