Jain idols to be restored in Gujarat after protests

THE Gujarat government on Monday directed officials in Panchmahal district to restore centuries-old Jain idols to their original location near the steps leading to the Kalika Mata temple on Pavagadh hill.

-  DILIP SINGH KSHATRIYA

The decision came after community members held protests claiming that the idols of Jain Tirthankars (supreme spiritual teachers) had been removed by the temple trust during a renovation project. However, the trust explained that the idols might have been inadvertently displaced while dismantling an old shed on the stairs, emphasising that there was no malicious intent behind the action.

These Jain idols were originally placed on both sides of the steps of an old, currently unused pathway leading to the hill temple. On Monday, some community members discovered that the idols had been removed from the side walls and placed together in one location, Jain leader Dinesh Shah said.