Indore: A three-year-old girl named Viyana Jain-Batting brain tumor-drew after her parents launched her to Jain religious practice of fasting after death in Indore Madhya Pradesh. What remained was the Gold Book of the World Records certificate.
The parents of the child, Piyush Jain (35) and Varsha Jain (32) are IT professionals and Vinaaya was their only daughter. According to her mourning parents who acted on the council of spiritual leader Jaina Monk Rajesh Muni Maharaj, they said according to PTI 21 March.
The incident recently came to light after the Golden Book of World Records released a certificate declared by Viyan Jain’s child, “the youngest person in the world to promise Jain Ritual Santhara”.
What is Jain Ritual Santhara?
Santhara – also known as Sallekhan or Samadhi Maran – is a serious promise in Jainism, where one gradually gives up food and water to accept the death by spiritual separation, believed that it would cleanse the soul of karma.
Why did three -year -old parents start a child in Santhara?
Viyana was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2024, her parents said. After undergoing surgery in Mumbai in January, her condition initially showed signs of improvement, but by March it deteriorated. When medical efforts were unable to stabilize her, the family turned to spiritual leadership.
“Maharaj saw her the condition of my daughter and told us that the end was close, and should have a promise of Santhary,” Piyush Jain PTI said.
The ritual began 21:25 21. March in the monk’s Ashram in Indore. Just 40 minutes later, at 22:05, she died Viyan.
Is Santhara legal?
In August 2015, the High Court in Rajasthan decided to be illegal, and described it on suicide according to IPC 306 and 309 sections, not the necessary religious practice protected under Article 25 of the Constitution. The court also noted that the right to life pursuant to Article 21 does not include the right to die. The court ordered the state authorities to consider Santharu as a crime and appropriately register cases.
Later in 2015, however, the Supreme Court remained by Rajasthan HC and acknowledged Santhar as a clear religious tradition and recognized petitions from the Jain community.
Discussion around Santhary
While Vinay’s parents described Santhar as the spiritual sending of his daughter, the decision caused the outrage of advocates of children and healthcare rights.
“This is a ritual designed for fully conscious adults, usually for seniors,” said Hindustan Times Omkar Singh of Madhya Pradesh Child Lawers Commission. “The toddler cannot give consent. We are investigating whether it violates the laws to protect children and takes the relevant measures,” Singh added, HT said.
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