Jaipur, India - A 93-year-old Jain woman who had been on a santhara fast for nearly 60 days passed away last night in Jaipur.
Kela Devi's death has re-ignited the debate on the Jain practise of santhara, which is a fast unto death.
This centuries old practice, according to the Jain religion, is a ritual purification of the body after a person decides his worldly duties are over and is prepared for death.
But a petition in the Rajasthan High Court has challenged this, terming it suicide.
Since the petition was admitted in the Rajasthan High Court, four cases of santhara have come to light.