Jain Ascetic Maa Gulab Bai Jain Attains Sallekhana-Induced Nirvana in Aron

Jain Ascetic Maa Gulab Bai Jain Attains Nirvana in Aron

Maa Gulab Bai Jain, a distinguished ascetic who had been practicing at the Acharyashri Vidyasagar Sadhika Ashram in Aron, Guna district, Madhya Pradesh, for two years, attained liberation through Sallekhana on Thursday. She relinquished her mortal body in the presence of Munishri Nirog Sagar, Nirmoha Sagar, Nirāmay Sagar, and Nirbhik Sagar Ji Maharaj.

A resident of Kekri, Rajasthan, Maa Gulab Bai Jain was freed from her earthly form at 11:35 AM, while remembering God, scripture, and the guru. News of her passing spread rapidly, drawing a large number of Jain community members from surrounding areas to Aron.

The local Digambar Jain community organized her final procession from the Shri Vidyasagar Sadhika Ashram, with men and women participating wholeheartedly. Her family members from her secular life were also present and rejoiced in the auspicious occasion of the ascetic's Sallekhana-induced Nirvana.

Second Instance of Sallekhana in Aron

This marks the second occasion in Aron where an ascetic from the Sadhika Ashram has achieved Nirvana through Sallekhana. Last year, under the guidance of the compassionate and prolific Munishri Durlabh Sagar Ji Maharaj, Aryika Shri Swarnashri Mataji (formerly Sona Devi in her secular life), a resident of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, also attained Nirvana through the same method.

Despite the ongoing festive season, the Jain community in Aron observed a period of mourning, keeping their businesses closed on this solemn day. Sallekhana is a sacred Jain religious practice involving the voluntary renunciation of food and water as death approaches, gradually weakening the body while fostering self-contemplation and remembrance of the divine, thereby facilitating the path to liberation (Moksha).