Jainism The presence of Jains in Singapore has been recorded since the beginning of the 20th century. Early religious activities, mainly the observation of traditional Jain festivals, were organized on an ad- hoc basis at Waterloo Street from the early 1900s.

Modern Jainism can be traced to about 2,600 years ago with the birth of Lord Mahavir in 599 BCE. In Jain philosophy, the ultimate aim is to be a Jina, that is, someone who has conquered worldly passions such as desire, hatred, anger, greed and pride. Jains are strict vegetarians, and abstain from the use of animal products.

The community celebrates five major events each year: Mahavir Jayanti (March/April), a celebration of the birth of Lord Mahavir; Ayambil Oli (March/April), when Jains practise nine days of partial abstinence and food restrictions; Paryushan (August/September), an eight- day period of fasting and introspection and one of the most important Jain festivals; Samu- Parna, a joint breaking of fasts, held on the ninth day after Paryushan; and Bestu- Varas prayers, held the day after Deepavali to celebrate Lord Mahavir’s attainment of nirvana.

The Singapore Jain Religious Society was officially registered as a religious society and charitable trust in 1972. The society currently has 800 members, the majority of whom originate from Gujarat, with the rest from Marwad and Punjab. A large percentage of its members are born in Singapore.

Photo credit: Singapore Jain Religious Society