Oppose Government’s move to declare ancient Jain shrine ‘Sammed Shikharji’ as a tourist spot

Mysore/Mysuru: Strongly opposing the Jharkhand Government’s move to declare ancient Jain shrine ‘Sammed Shikharji’ in Giridih district of Jharkhand as a tourist spot, hundreds of Digambar Jain community members, under the banner of Mysuru Digambar Jain Samaj, took out a procession in the city yesterday.

The procession, which commenced from Gandhi Square in the heart of the city, passed through Ashoka Road, Irwin Road and JLB Road before reaching the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where they presented a memorandum.

Addressing the protesters, Samaj Secretary M.R. Sunil Kumar said the Tourism Department of Jharkhand Government has declared ‘Sammed Shikharji’, as a tourist spot. As a result, this holy Jain shrine faces the threat of becoming an enjoyment spot for tourists, he noted.

Accusing the Jharkhand Government of ignoring the pleas of Jain community, Sunil Kumar said that it is a holy place in the midst of a forest, where 20 Teerthankaras had got Moksha in the past. As such, the Government should honour the sentiments of Jain community and take back its decision on declaring the ancient shrine as a tourist spot.

The Samaj President S.D. Mahesh Prasad, Vice-President B. Bharat Raj, office-bearers B. Jwalendra Prasad, Lakshmish Babu, A.N. Dharanendran, B. Seemantini, Latha Sudarshan, Nirmala Basavaraj, Jinendra Prakash, K. Chandrashekar Ariga and others were present.