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On Sunday evening, members of the Jain community gathered at Pavagadh police station following the removal of Jain Tirthankara idols from both sides of the stairs leading to the Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir atop Pavagadh hill. The community staged a protest, demanding an end to the vandalism and calling for action against those responsible.A Jain leader explained, “The incident occurred yesterday afternoon, where the idols of Lord Neminath, the 22nd Tirthankar, along with seven other idols, were broken and discarded. This has deeply hurt the sentiments of Jains. Discussions are ongoing with the stakeholders of Pavagadh Trust. We demand that the statues be restored. We have no other demands.”He further questioned the government’s commitment to Jain pilgrimage development, stating, “The government has spent crores of rupees on the Pavagadh Teerthdam, which houses 11 Jain derasars. Shouldn’t Jain temples also be included in pilgrimage development? Does it imply that we are a minority and are being neglected? Today, leaders of the Samast Vadodara Sangh have met the collector and submitted an application. We have lodged a complaint with the government and are filing an FIR against those who vandalized the statues.”Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghvi responded to the issue, stating, “Pavagadh is a historic land. Many Jain Tirthankaras’ statues have been established on the mountains of Pavagadh for thousands of years. No trust, organization, or individual has the right to demolish such historic statues and religious places. The Gujarat CM has ensured that the sentiments of Jains must not be hurt. These statues must be re-established at their original positions. In some hours, the statues will be re-established.”For the past 4-5 years, the old stone stairs, where the idols were installed, were closed due to deterioration, and new stairs were constructed. Entry to these old stairs was restricted to prevent littering. Temple management had cleaned the area promptly when Jain community leaders reported littering.Ashokbhai, a Trustee of Pavagadh Temple, clarified that the idols were not intentionally vandalized. He stated, “People were informed about their removal 20 days ago. It had been communicated long ago that if anyone wished to keep the idols, they should take them away. Even during the commencement of the work, it was emphasized that the idols should be taken away. Despite informing them, no one came forward to take them.”Regarding the broken idol, he explained, “Only one idol was broken unintentionally due to the weak nature of the stone. The artisan mentioned that the idol broke because of its inherent weakness. Moreover, none of these idols were actively worshipped. If there is a need to reinstall this idol, we are prepared to provide it.”Jain leaders allege that while the development of the Mahakali Mata temple is positive, the ancient Shwetambar Jain idols in Pavagadh have been mutilated, uprooted, and discarded. This incident has deeply affected the Jain community, and they demand legal action against those responsible.

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