Digital fast: Jains in MP stay off internet for 24 hours as part of ritual

Some members of the Jain community in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh observed a 24-hour "digital fast" during the ongoing Paryushan Parva by keeping away from electronic gadgets, reports said.

This started at Begumganj town, about 120 kms from state capital Bhopal, on Wednesday morning. Around 1,000 members of the Jain community deposited their smartphones at a temple, PTI reported.

"An initiative of digital fasting or fasting without internet was started so that the people can stay away from this addiction. People switched off their phones and left them at the temple for 24 hours for this fasting," the report quoted Akshay Jain, a local community leader as saying.


Paryushan Parva is one of the major festivals celebrated for eight days in August-September by the Jain community annually for self-purification, introspection and spiritual development.

Members of the community participate by fasting and performing pujas and other religious rituals, and the 'digital fast' was part of this

Ajay Jain, a councillor and another prominent leader from the community said, "We are keeping away from all modes of internet including phone, laptops, computers. We have to sacrifice some of the favourite things during the ongoing fasting of Paryushan Parva. So we decided to renounce the internet for 24 hours.”

Community members said they may continue the initiative in the future as well.