on diwali morning, nirvan ladoo is offered after praying to lord mahavira in all jain temples across the world. the most important principle of jains is ahinsa or non violence, thus they tend to avoid firecrackers during diwali as they cause harm to living organisms. diwali is celebrated in atmosphere of austerity, simplicity, serenity, equity, calmness, charity, philanthropy and environment-consciousness. jain temples, homes, offices, shops are decorated with lights and diyas. relatives distribute sweets to each other. the lights are symbolic of knowledge or removal of ignorance. swetambar jains observe two days of fasting in remembrance of the penance and sacrifice of mahavira. in temples and homes, devotees sing and chant hymns and mantras from jain religious texts in praise of the tirthankar and congregate for a prayer and recite verses from the uttaradhyayan sutra which contain the last teachings of mahavira. jains pay visit to pawapuri,nalanda in bihar on this special day to offer their prayers. the jain year starts with pratipada, next day of diwali.