RENOWNED Jain seer Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj breathed his last on Sunday at Chandragiri Teerth in Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district after undertaking ‘sallekhna’. Sallekhna is a Jain religious practice involving voluntary fasting unto death for spiritual purification, a statement from the teerth said. The Chhattisgarh Government has announced a half-day state mourning on Sunday, officials said. “Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj Ji of the world-famous Digambar Jain saint tradition, known as Vardha-man of the present day, passed away today,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a post on X. The Government has declared a half-day State mourning, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast (wherever it is hoisted regularly), and no Government functions or programmes will be held, it said.

 

Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj attained Samadhi through ‘Sallekhna’ at Chandragiri Teerth at 2.35 am, the statement from teerth said. “Maharaj was staying at the teerth in Dongargarh for the last six months and was unwell for the last few days. For the last three days, he was observing sallekhna, a religious practice of voluntarily fasting to death, and had quit intake of food and liquids. According to Jainism, it is a vow taken for spiritual purification,” the statement said. A procession was taken out at 1 pm for people to pay tribute to the departed seer, and the final rites were held at the teerth, it was stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj and said he will be remembered by the coming generations for his invaluable contributions to society.