Bokaro: Bimla Devi Choraria, seventy-five, has abandoned all desires and dislikes to seek ‘moksha’ (salvation) through ‘Santhara’ at Chas in Bokaro district of Jharkhand.
In Jain Santhara believes in a spiritual journey to attain ‘moksha’. It is a procedure in which Jain stops eating so as to prepare for death. She stopped taking food and water from 19 October,
Santhara is a religious death through fasting, seen as a highly respected practice in Jainism. It’s a matter of celebration for many members of the Jain community, said Madan Jain her son, a businessman.
According to the family members, Bimla Devi has tested COVID– 19 positive in September and recently recovered. She was suffering from multiple ailments, chronic kidney disease, and has taken Santhara.
Before taking Santhara she was admitted in a private hospital in Ranchi suffering kidney ailment where doctors find it difficult to get reading of her blood pressure and pulse as it was very low. Later doctors suggested us to take back to her home, said Jain his elder son.
“But after she has taken up Santhara, her health condition returning back to normal,” added Jain.
All the family members, relatives, friends and closed ones are dedicatedly participating in the religious process. There was chanting of mantras, bhajans carried on round the clock until Devi attained salvation.
“Santhara is allowed only after making sure a person who has expressed his wish for it will be able to do it. Permission from one’s guru needs to be obtained because it is a very difficult procedure,” said a family member.
Bimla Devi is a resident of MDA Heights, Chas at Bokaro