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Jainism: Lord Mahavira
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Jainism's core belief is ahimsa, or noninjury to all living things. It was founded as a reaction against the Vedic religion, which required animal sacrifices. Jainism has no belief in a creator god, though there are a number of lesser deities for various aspects of life. Jains believe their religion is eternal and hold that it was revealed in stages by a number of Conquerors, of whom Mahavira was the 24th.
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The oldest continuous monastic tradition in India is Jainism, the path of the Jinas, or victors. This tradition is traced to Var-dhamana Mahavira (The Great Hero; ca. 599-527 B.C.), the twenty-fourth and last of the Tirthankaras (Sanskrit for fordmakers). According to legend, Mahavira was born to a ruling family in the town of Vaishali, located in the modern state of Bihar. At the age of thirty, he renounced his wealthy life and devoted himself to fasting and self-mortification in order to purify his consciousness and discover the meaning of existence. He never again dwelt in a house, owned property, or wore clothing of any sort.
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According to Jain teaching, there were 23 Tirthankaras (saintly prophets or proclaimers of salvation) before Mahavira Vardhamana, the 6th-century-BC Indian religious leader after whom Jainism was named. Today they are venerated as saints in temples containing their images.
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In the 6th century BC, protests against the Hindu caste system and exploitation by Hindu priests led to the founding of Buddhism and Jainism. Jainism was founded by Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankaraor saint. All but the twenty-third and twenty-fourth Tirthankara'sare legendary figures who are said to have lived for millions of years. Mahavira was a contemporary of Buddha with a similar background; both were of noble birth and both renounced their former lives to live among ascetics. From the moment of his renunciation, Mahavira lived a life of extreme asceticism. The word "Jain" is derived from the Sanskrit word jinameaning "conqueror".
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At the time of Lord Mahavira it was a famous religious center of Jainism. Lord Mahavira was born when this place was at the peak of prosperity and it was encompassed within three walls with their separate gates and watch towers. There were variety of structures, houses and palaces. The chiefs were elected by the citizens ( men and women ).
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Mahavira is not the founder of Jainism. He revived the Jain doctrines. He was more a reformer than the founder of the faith. He was the first active propagator. He was the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. He is claimed to have been omniscient.
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Lord Mahavira