Mumbai is preparing to host one of the largest collective Jain initiation ceremonies ever witnessed in Maharashtra. The Jain Diksha Mahotsav 2026 will take place in Borivali West’s Chikuwadi area, marking a rare spiritual milestone where 64 aspirants will renounce worldly life together under a single pavilion.
The five-day spiritual celebration, titled Sanyamrang Utsav, will run from 4 February to 8 February 2026. The grand culmination on the final day will see 18 men and 46 women formally accept Jain Diksha in a ceremony of unprecedented scale for the state.
To accommodate the massive gathering, organisers have developed a temporary spiritual township spanning nearly 2,50,000 square feet. The space has been designed to reflect the principles of discipline, renunciation and spiritual reflection that form the foundation of Jain philosophy.
The Diksha ceremony will be held in the revered presence of Acharya Bhagwant Gachchhadhipati Pujya SomSundarSuriji Maharaj Saheb along with several senior Acharyas. The proceedings will be conducted under the spiritual guidance of Pujya YogtilakSuriji Maharaj Saheb, a disciple of Pujya JinChandraSuriji Maharaj Saheb of the ShantichandraSuri tradition. More than 800 Jain monks and nuns are expected to attend the historic occasion.
Large-scale community service arrangements have also been planned. During the Mahotsav, organised Sadharmik Bhakti meals will be served to over 2,00,000 devotees. A specially constructed dining hall with a seating capacity of 10,000 people will operate three times a day to ensure smooth distribution.
In an effort to spread the spiritual message beyond the venue, sweets will be distributed to more than 1,00,000 households across the region, helping connect the wider community with the event’s values of restraint and compassion.
The Mahotsav has drawn participation from more than 200 Jain Sanghs across Mumbai and the involvement of nearly 1,800 trustees, reflecting strong community mobilisation. Over 700 volunteers are actively contributing to the event’s logistics, hospitality and coordination.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, the Derasar premises will be illuminated every evening with over 1,000 lamps, creating a sacred ambience similar to Diwali celebrations. Cultural programmes will feature renowned devotional singers including Manan Sanghvi, Shivam Singh and Sunny Shah, along with performances by 12 bhakti music groups. Major highlights include the farewell ceremony of the Diksharthis and the grand Varshidan Yatra procession.
Visitors to the spiritual township will also experience specially curated attractions such as the Shaurya Gatha spiritual gallery, decorative temple structures and interactive installations depicting Jain heritage and values.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Mahotsav is the diversity among the aspirants. Participants range from a 72-year-old senior to a nine-year-old child. The group includes three entire families and four married couples who will take Diksha together. Several aspirants come from professional backgrounds, including chartered accountants, architects, physicists, legal graduates, interior designers, food technologists and medical laboratory specialists.
The Diksharthis represent nine Indian regions including Surat, Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Saurashtra, Mumbai, Pune, Udaipur, Hinganghat, Raipur and Ujjain, along with two aspirants from the United States, highlighting Jainism’s expanding global spiritual footprint.
The event is being organised by the Adhyatmik Parivar with the support of community patrons. Organisers noted that a similar collective Diksha ceremony involving 44 aspirants was successfully conducted at the same Borivali venue in 2019. Over the past decade, more than 350 individuals have embraced Diksha under the guidance of Pujya YogtilakSuriji Maharaj Saheb.
The year 2026 also marks the centenary of the Diksha of Pujya ShantichandraSuriji, adding deeper religious significance to the Mahotsav.
With its scale, spiritual depth and community participation, the Jain Diksha Mahotsav 2026 in Borivali is set to become a landmark chapter in Jain history and further strengthen Mumbai’s cultural and spiritual identity.
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