MUMBAI: It was a religious gathering with a mood of festivity in the air. More than 60,000 Jains thronged the MMRDA grounds in Bandra (east) on a hot Sunday morning where a Jain monk, Hansratnavijayji Maharaj Saheb, created history by breaking 423 days of fasting done over a period of 494 days.

Jain gurus said that such a feat has been achieved after 2,500 years.

Beneath a huge canopy put up on the ground, a sea of Jain families had come together to witness the monk take his first sip and morsel after the long fast. Such fasting is a form of penance called 'Gunaratna Samvatsar Tap'. Usually, such a religious practice involves 407 fasts over 480 days.

Seated on a ceremonial throne bedecked with flowers, two swan figurines flanking the seat, Hansratnavijayji Maharaj Saheb was given a sip of juice and some solid food to break the fast.

The crowd of devotees gathered at the venue sent up a collective cheer as the 49-year-old monk broke his fast, as music was being played in the background.

The monk had fasted for 108 days a couple of years ago.

Mansi Jain, one of the devotees at the venue, said it was a big event in the history of Jainism. "We have come here to seek the blessings of Maharaj Saheb,"said Mansi.

"The idea behind fasting was to purify the soul and attain internal peace. It was to ensure that good things prevail in life,"said Shree Hansratnavijayiji Maharaj Saheb.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the event and sought blessings from the monk. The sponsors of the religious event, a family from Nashik, presented a cheque of Rs51 lakh for drought relief.

A Jain guru, who was at the venue, said that five sadhus had completed such a fast during the time of Lord Mahavir.

This form of fasting is considered to be the highest form of penance in Jainism.