The Jain community is currently celebrating Paryushan Parv 2024 – a key festival dedicated to self-reflection, spiritual cleansing and forgiveness. While the Shvetambar Jain community observed the festival from August 31 to September 7, Paryushan Parv for the Digambar Jain community commenced on September 8 and will go on till September 17, coinciding with Ganeshotsav 2024.

One of the most prominent rituals of the 10-day-long festival is observing fasting and following dietary restrictions. While some Jains observe a complete fast, only surviving on water on these days, others are not that strict with their dietary practices. Some foods like onion, garlic, potato and other root vegetables are generally avoided. Those who don’t follow strict fasting can experiment with basic ingredients and create innovative Jain dishes to celebrate the festival. Here are some recipes by Mumbai chefs to help you get started.