Jain community Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir Pavagadh hill Vadodara Deepak Shah

The alleged vandalisation of Jain Tirthankara idols on the stairs leading to the Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir atop Pavagadh hill near Gujarat’s Vadodara has sparked widespread outrage among the local Jain community. As per a report of IANS, the Jain Sangh of Vadodara led by Maharaj Saheb on Monday marched to the residence of the Collector to lodge a formal complaint besides issuing a three-day ultimatum to restore the idols. 

VIDEO | Visuals of vandalised idols of Jain Tirthankaras on both sides of the stairs leading to the Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir atop Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat.

(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/TIpo8GKVji

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2024

Highlighting the sanctity of Pavagadh and its historical and religious significance, Maharaj Saheb urged for the idols to be restored within 72 hours. He called for non-violent protests and stressed the need for unity within the Jain Sangh, emphasising that the preservation of ancient architecture is a governmental responsibility.

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Jain leader Deepak Shah claimed that the idols were dismantled under the supervision of the site manager, Vikram, who discarded them as ‘garbage’. “The Jain community will not rest until the idols are restored,” he said, IANS reported.

While Jainism advocates non-violence, Shah underlined that this principle “should not be mistaken for passivity”. He also warned against attempts to divide the community and he demanded the maintenance of all the temples in Pavagadh, which have been worship sites for centuries.

According to Live Hindustan, the Pavagadh temple trustee Ashokbhai clarified that the idols were not broken intentionally. He said, “The idols were placed in the old temple. People were informed about the removal even before the work started 20 days ago. It was informed long ago that if anyone wants to keep the idols, then they should take them away.” He added, “Even during the beginning of the work, the idols were asked to be removed. Despite requests to the concerned people, they did not come forward to take them away.”

He further elaborated on the broken idol, “Only one idol was unfortunate, and that too was not intentional. The idol broke as the stone was weak. When I asked the artisan about it, he told me that the idol was already damaged and that is why it broke. Moreover, none of these idols were being worshipped. If this idol needs to be reinstalled, we are ready to provide it.”