Woman ascetic attains samadhi after undergoing Sallekhana for 39 days

CHENNAI: A 66-year-old woman ascetic, who had been undergoing Sallekhana (Santhara), a Jain ritual in which an ascetic undergoes a fast unto death, since March 25 at Jina Kanchi Jain Math in Mel Sithamur (near Gingee), attained samadhi on Friday night. The ascetic had stopped consuming water (considered the last stage of the process) four days ago. The last rites were held on Saturday morning in the presence of senior pontiffs in the Math.
Born in Karnataka’s Haveri, Padma Jain took the Sallekhana vow on March 25, 2019, when she visited Ponnur hills in Vandavasi. She chose the hill mainly because it was where Kundakunda, the great scholar of Jainism, lived and meditated. The woman ascetic attained samadhi on the 39th day since she took her Sallekhana vow.
Jainism observes many vows and Sallekhana is the most important, where one faces death voluntarily when one is nearing the end and when normal life according to religion is not possible due to old age and incurable disease. A Jain’s approach to death by observing Sallekhana provides him/her an alternative, non-violent approach to the ultimate rite of passage. Sallekhana is a highly respected practice in Jainism, one the community believes leads an individual to a world of non-violence after rejecting all desires in the material world.
The Jain community in Tamil Nadu had welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court in September 2015 staying the Rajasthan high court order banning the community from practicing Sallekhana. Woman ascetic Sakunthala, 78, who was undergoing Sallekhana had attained samadhi in the Tirumala (near Arani) Jain Math on February 2, 2019. Marudevi Ammal, an 83-year-old female ascetic in Tiruvannamalai, had attained samadhi after observing Sallekhana for 42 days in 2015. This was the first Sallekhana reported after a decade in Tamil Nadu.