Cultural Diversity - The Civil Service

Land Registry Cultural DiversityLanguageThe main community language is Gujarati but almost everyone will be fluent in spokenand written English. Many older people will also be able to speak East Africancommunity languages. About 5% of Jains speak Hindi, Punjabi or Marwari.Main festivalsMahavira Jayanti (March/April)Marks the anniversary of the birth of Mahavira.Akshaya-tiritiya (April/May)Means “Immortal Third” and celebrates the first time that alms were given to JinaRishabha, the first Tirthankara of this cosmic cycle.Shruta-pancami (May/June)Or Guru-pancami, meaning “Teacher’s Fifth”, is celebrated by the Digambaras on thefifth (pancami) day of May/June. Among the Shvetambaras this day is known asJnana-pancami (Knowledge-Fifth) and is observed in October/November. Itcommemorates the day on which the Jain scriptures were first written down.Paryushana-parva (August/September)A period of eight to ten days which marks the most important religious period duringthe four months of the rainy season in India. During this time, lay people often observespecial vows of eating only one meal or of fasting from sunrise to sunrise.During the festival, each day is devoted to a discourse on one of ten virtues. The finalday is the holiest in the year and is marked by the celebration of Samvatsaripratikramana.This is an annual ceremony of confession in which all Jains participate,requesting forgiveness from relatives and friends for offences of thought, word ordeed.Vira-Nirvana (November)This coincides with the Indian festival of Diwali, when Jains mark the death andnirvana of Mahavira.Karttika-purnima (December)Is the day on which the rainy season retreat for monks and nuns comes to an end,and they resume their travels on foot. This marks the end of the Jain religious year.18