Kshamavani 2027

About Kshamavani

Kshamavani is the Digambar Jain day of forgiveness, when families and whole communities ask pardon of one another for the year's hurts with the words "Uttam Kshama" or "Micchami Dukkadam". It falls on Ashvin Krishna Pratipada, just after the ten-day Das Lakshan Parva ends. In 2027 it falls on Thursday, 16 September 2027.

Kshamavani means "the speech of forgiveness". For Digambar Jains it is the day the year's account is settled: after ten days of fasting and reflection, people go from house to house, phone relatives in other cities and sit with old friends to ask pardon for anything they said or did, and to forgive in return.

The ten days of Das Lakshan that lead to Kshamavani

Digambar Jains keep a ten-day festival called Das Lakshan Parva, the festival of ten qualities. It begins on Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami, around the day the Shwetambar Paryushan ends, and runs to Chaturdashi. Each day is given to one dharma, a quality of the soul, from verse 9.6 of the Tattvartha Sutra by Acharya Umaswami. Temples hold puja, readings and talks on the day's quality, and many people fast.

Every quality carries the word uttam, supreme. The classical commentary explains that the word is added to show the virtue is practised for its own sake, not for any worldly reward.

The sixth day is also Sugandh Dashami, when families visit temples to offer dhoop, fragrant incense. The tenth day falls on Anant Chaturdashi, the same tithi on which many Hindu families immerse Ganesh idols. The festival begins with forgiveness and comes back to it on Kshamavani.

When is Kshamavani, and why do dates differ?

Most Digambar calendars place Kshamavani on Ashvin Krishna Pratipada, the first day of the dark half of Ashvin. Bhadrapada Purnima, the full moon, sits between Anant Chaturdashi and that day, so Kshamavani usually comes two days after Das Lakshan closes, not the next morning. In 2022, for example, Anant Chaturdashi was on 9 September and Lucknow's Jain temples marked Kshamavani on 11 September.

Lunar days do not line up neatly with calendar days. In 2026 the Chaturthi tithi covered two sunrises, 14 and 15 September, so Indore's Digambar community began Das Lakshan on 16 September and kept Kshamavani on 27 September. Some websites still print the day after Anant Chaturdashi as the date. If timing matters, go by your friend's local temple.

Many towns also hold a separate Kshamavani milan samaroh, a community gathering, in the days that follow, often on a Sunday so working families can attend. In 2026 the Digambar community in Udaipur used theirs to honour 29 people who had completed long fasts and eight members over the age of 80.

Shwetambar Jains ask forgiveness on Samvatsari, the last day of their eight-day Paryushan. The meaning is the same, but the day is not. Kshamavani usually comes eleven or twelve days later.

What people do on Kshamavani

The day starts at the temple. In Jaipur's Digambar temples in 2026, the morning had abhishek of the Tirthankara idols with water and panchamrit, a shantidhara (a stream of water poured while peace prayers are recited), and ashtadravya puja, worship with eight offerings. Many temples also read the Kshamavani puja, and munis or aryikas, Digambar monks and nuns, give a talk on forgiveness. Some towns take out a procession; in Lucknow in 2022 the idol of Shantinath was carried from the temple to Mahavir Chowk.

Then comes the part everyone remembers. People stand with folded hands before one another and ask forgiveness. Young people touch the feet of elders. In Jaipur, families exchanged khopra-mishri, dried coconut with crystal sugar, as a sign that the year's bitterness is over. Those who live away call home, and many send letters, cards or messages to relatives and friends they will not see.

Behind the custom is the pratikraman idea of looking back at one's own faults before anyone else's. The Prakrit prayer recited for it says, in English: I forgive all living beings, may all living beings forgive me, I am a friend to all and an enemy to none.

Uttam Kshama, Micchami Dukkadam and how to say it in Hindi

Micchami Dukkadam is Prakrit. Its Sanskrit form, mithya me dushkritam, asks that any wrong I have done come to nothing. Digambar and Shwetambar Jains both use it.

Uttam Kshama means supreme forgiveness. It names the first day of Das Lakshan, and on Kshamavani it becomes a greeting. Jain teachers draw a line between everyday forgiveness, which waits for an apology, and uttam kshama, which forgives without waiting.

In Hindi-speaking Digambar families the usual line is "Uttam Kshama, sabse kshama, sabko kshama": supreme forgiveness, forgiveness asked of all, forgiveness given to all. The longer spoken form runs roughly: "Man, vachan, kaya se, jaane-anjaane mein aapka dil dukhaya ho to haath jodkar kshama maangta hoon." It means that if I hurt you in thought, word or deed, knowingly or not, I ask pardon with folded hands. A woman says "maangti hoon". "Mujhe kshama karein", please forgive me, works for anyone. Many people close with "Jai Jinendra", the everyday Jain greeting.

How to reply, and how to wish a Jain colleague

When someone says "Uttam Kshama" or "Micchami Dukkadam" to you, say the same words back. The reply means you ask their forgiveness too. Avoid "It's okay, I forgive you". It sounds as if only they were at fault, and the exchange is meant to be equal.

If the person really did hurt you this year, you don't have to pretend otherwise. A short "Uttam Kshama. Thank you for saying this, it means a lot" is honest and kind. If you owe the apology, say what it was for.

To see every Jain date for the year in one place, open the calendar.

How to wish someone on Kshamavani

Kshamavani is about asking forgiveness and giving it, so a good message is humble and personal, never "Happy Kshamavani". Open with "Uttam Kshama" or "Micchami Dukkadam", ask pardon for anything said or done in thought, word or deed, and name a real hurt if there was one. In Hindi, "Uttam Kshama, sabse kshama, sabko kshama" is the common line. If someone asks your forgiveness, reply with the same words.

Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.

Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.

When is Kshamavani in 2026 and 2027?

Kshamavani is set by the Jain lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.

Frequently asked questions