The 24th Tirthankara in Jain tradition and the founder of the Jain religion, Mahavir Swami fasted for 180 days twice during his life. The feat of Acharya Vijay Hans Ratna Suri who has completed 180 days of continuous fasting five times so far, can be gauged from this information.
Not only that, the 56-year-old Jain monk will be completing his 180 days of continuous fasting for the sixth time on Sunday. Fasting has a special place in the Jain worship traditions. However, fasting for such long periods so many times is rare. Acharya Hansranasuri has spent a total of 12 years of his life fasting.
Acharya Vijay Hans Ratna Suri, the Jain seer based at Jain Sangh at Juhu in Mumbai was initiated as a Jain monk at the tender age of 13. Originally from Adoi village of Vagad in Kutch, Gujarat, the Shwetambar Jain Acharya’s Guru is Acharya Ratna Sundar Maharaj, a Padma Bhushan recipient,2017.
“He sleeps only for 2.5 hours a day, and the rest of the day, he sits meditating without any back support. He drinks two litres of boiled water during the day and gains nourishment and energy by absorbing sunlight,” Muni Padma Kalash, a Jain monk said. He said, the monk underwent regular checkups during the continuous fasting, and doctors found him in perfect health.
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