Youngest Jain Takes Santhara in Indore, Marking Historic Ritual

In a poignant event that has stirred discussions across India’s Jain community, a three-year-old girl in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has become the youngest person ever to undertake Santhara, a revered Jain ritual of voluntary fasting until death. The child, diagnosed with a brain tumor a year ago, passed away shortly after completing the ritual.

The girl, identified as Viyana Jain, was under treatment in Mumbai for her condition. Her parents, Piyush and Varsha Jain, both IT professionals, shared that they decided to proceed with Santhara on March 21, following guidance from Jain monk Rajesh Muni Maharaj. The ritual, conducted with religious chants, lasted approximately 30 minutes before Viyana’s passing.

Santhara, also known as Sallekhana, is a centuries-old Jain practice where individuals embrace death through fasting when life is deemed spiritually fulfilled or physically unsustainable due to severe illness or old age. The Jain community in Indore honored Viyana’s parents for their decision, recognizing the spiritual significance of the act. The event has been recorded in the Golden Book of World Records as the youngest instance of Santhara.

The ritual has sparked widespread attention, highlighting the deep spiritual convictions within the Jain community, while also reigniting debates about the practice’s ethical and legal implications in India.