Recently, Sammed Shikhar ji, the holy pilgrimage place of Jains, has been in a lot of discussions. Jharkhand government is talking about making it a tourist place, for which there is a lot of anger among the followers of Jainism. Let us know what is this holy place of Jainism and what is the main controversy
Sammed Shikhar Ji: Sammed Shikhar Ji is a holy pilgrimage site of Jainism, it is situated on the Paras Nath hills of Jharkhand state. Recently the Jharkhand government has declared it a tourist place, which is against Jainism and that is why people are opposed to making it a tourist place. Many Jain sages have also sat on fast unto death in protest against making it a tourist place. Let us know what is its importance.
Shri Sammed Shikhar ji:
Sammed peak located in the state of Jharkhand is a holy pilgrimage site of Jainism. Lakhs of Jain community people come here every year. According to religious beliefs, 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras and monks of Jainism attained Nirvana in this region and the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanath also attained Nirvana in this region. That's why this is a proven area. Due to this, the people of the Jain community consider every particle of this area to be very sacred.
Shri Sammed Shikharji, also known as Parshwanath hill, is situated on Parasnath hill in the Giridih district of the state. This place is one of the major centers of faith not only of the Jain community but also of the Hindu religion. People of the Jain community visit Sammed Shikharji once in their lifetime, as well as worship in other temples spread over this 27-kilometer area.
What is the controversy?
To promote tourism in this world-famous area in the year 2019, the Jharkhand government declared it a tourist destination in February 2019. Along with this, Baijnath Dham, the holy place of Lord Shiva located in Deoghar, and Basukinath Dham located in Dumka were also included in this list. The Jain community has been opposing this since the area was declared a tourist destination. They say that by declaring this area as a tourist area, people of different communities and religions will come here and consume meat and alcohol here, affecting the sanctity of this holy place. Will be
In the year 2019, the Government of Jharkhand declared it an eco-sensitive zone. Eco-sensitive zones are areas that are sensitive to the environment. By paying more attention to the plants and animals found here, the government makes it an eco-tourism area.
What is the difference between a place of pilgrimage and a tourist place?
A tourist place is an area for sightseeing that is not related to any particular religion. At tourist places, people wear clothes of their choice, eat the food of their choice and participate in various activities. Here tourists like to do more and more entertainment and travel. People in such areas go for summer or winter vacations to take children or to relieve themselves from their workload.
While pilgrimage places are holy places of a particular religion or community, these areas have their terms and conditions. There are some special rules and regulations to come in these areas, like wearing a special dress is allowed in some areas. Consumption of meat and alcohol is often prohibited in pilgrimage places and people come here for mental peace, religious reasons, and purity. Although people visit religious places throughout the year, the number of devotees who come to some special festivals is more.
