1 week ago
Jains Fear Religious Encroachment at Sacred Sammed Shikharji
Sammed Shikharji is a very important holy place for Jains in Jharkhand.
Jain pilgrims travel through the hills to visit shrines connected with their Tirthankaras.
Videos on social media appear to show some visitors chanting Hindu slogans there.
Other claims say that some visitors called a Jain shrine a “Parshuram Temple.”
These claims have upset Jain pilgrims, who fear that the site’s identity is being changed.
Jains also worry that treating the hills like a normal tourist attraction could lead to disrespectful behavior.
In 2023, protests led the central government to pause tourism and eco-tourism activities connected with the site.
The main question is how to allow visitors while preserving the traditions and religious identity of this Jain pilgrimage centre.
Social media videos show alleged confrontations between Jain pilgrims and visitors at Jharkhand’s Parasnath Hills.
Some visitors are alleged to have called the summit shrine a “Parshuram Temple” and chanted “Har Har Mahadev.”
Jains regard Sammed Shikharji as a major pilgrimage site where 20 of 24 Tirthankaras attained moksha.
The site’s name, Parasnath, is linked to Parshvanath, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, not Parshuram.
The controversy revives earlier concerns about tourism plans that could dilute the site’s religious character.
- Who
- Jain pilgrims, visitors shown in social media videos, and authorities connected with the site.
- What
- A controversy over alleged competing religious claims, slogans, and the possible dilution of Sammed Shikharji’s Jain identity.
- Where
- Shri Sammed Shikharji, also known as Shikharji or Parasnath Hills, in Jharkhand, India.
- When
- The latest allegations are circulating on social media; related nationwide protests occurred in late 2022 and January 2023.
- Why
- Jains fear that tourism, competing religious practices, and claims linking the summit to Parshuram could alter the character of their sacred pilgrimage site.
Preserving Jain Sanctity
Access and Shared Reverence
Religious identity
Preserving Jain Sanctity
Jain devotees say the shrine and hills have an established Jain identity and that calling a Jain shrine a “Parshuram Temple” or introducing competing rituals threatens that identity.
Access and Shared Reverence
The article notes that people of different faiths can legitimately visit religious and cultural places, provided the site’s established traditions are respected.
Tourism and visitation
Preserving Jain Sanctity
Jains fear that promoting the hills as a tourist destination could bring visitors unfamiliar with religious restrictions and lead to commercialization, inappropriate behavior, or competing religious practices.
Access and Shared Reverence
The article distinguishes tourism from religious encroachment and states that visiting a sacred site does not automatically constitute an attempt to change its religious character.
Religious slogans
Preserving Jain Sanctity
Jain pilgrims view slogans such as “Har Har Mahadev” as especially concerning when paired with claims that the site belongs to another religious tradition.
Access and Shared Reverence
The article states that chanting a religious slogan alone is not necessarily encroachment; the concern depends on the broader context and whether a sustained competing claim is being made.
Key facts
- Religious significance
- Jains traditionally believe that 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attained moksha at the site.
- Pilgrimage route
- The traditional pilgrimage through the hills covers roughly 27 kilometres.
- Name origin
- Parasnath is described as deriving from Parshvanath, the 23rd Tirthankara.
- 2023 government action
- On January 5, 2023, the Union Environment Ministry stayed implementation of relevant tourism and eco-tourism provisions affecting the site.
- Government position
- The National Commission for Minorities said the Centre and Jharkhand government had decided to retain Sammed Shikharji as a pilgrimage site.
- Tourism Ministry clarification
- In a February 2023 Lok Sabha answer, the Ministry of Tourism said it had not proposed declaring Sammed Shikharji a tourist place.
- Earlier development plan
- A 2015 Parasnath Hill Development Plan proposed infrastructure including a helipad, theme park, reception centre, parking facilities, and a bus stand.
Quotes
Jain woman
A Jain pilgrim who confronted visitors chanting Hindu slogans
“"Har Har Mahadev", following which a Jain woman confronts them and questions why such slogans are being raised at the site.”
opindia.com
Unverified visitor
A visitor expressing concern over Hindu slogans at the site
“"Shivji baithe hain kya yahan?"”
opindia.com
Sources
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