Mahavira

Mahavira

Mahavira (Mahāvīra), also known by his birth name Vardhamana (Vardhamāna), was an Indian religious reformer and spiritual leader who is considered by Jains to be the 24th and final Tirthankara (Supreme Preacher) of this age in Jainism. He is believed by historians to have lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE, reviving and reforming an earlier Jain or proto-Jain community which had likely been led by Pārśvanātha, whom Jains consider to be Mahavira's predecessor. Although the dates of Mahavira's life are uncertain and historically reliable information is scarce, and traditional accounts vary by sectarian traditions, the historicity of Mahavira is well-established and not in dispute among scholars. According to traditional legends and hagiographies, Mahavira was born in the early 6th century BCE to a ruling royal kshatriya Jain family of the Nāya tribe in what is now Bihar in India. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Mahavira is the 134th most popular religious figure, the 14th most popular biography from India (up from 16th in 2019) and the most popular Indian Religious Figure.

Mahavira is most famous for being the founder of Jainism. He was a prince who renounced his throne and became a monk.