Terminally Ill 3-Year-Old ‘Fasts To Death’ In Jain Ritual, Experts Raise Concerns

Bhopal:

At an age when most children are just beginning to speak in full sentences and discover the joys of childhood, three-year-old Viyana Jain from Indore was administered ‘Santhara’  – the Jain religious practice of voluntary fasting unto death – after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.

What followed was a mix of religious rituals, spiritual convictions, and an irreversible decision – one that may have slipped under the radar of the law.

Viyana, the only child of IT professionals Piyush and Varsha Jain, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in December 2024. After undergoing treatment in Mumbai – including surgery – her condition reportedly deteriorated. By March this year, when all hope seemed lost, the family, devout followers of Jainism, turned to spiritual guidance.

On March 21, during a visit to spiritual leader Rajesh Muni Maharaj in Indore, the girl was administered ”Santhara”  – a religious vow of renunciation leading to death, sanctified with mantras and rituals.