News: The Jharkhand High Court has recently directed the state government to increase deployment of home guard constables around the Parasnath Hills (Giridih district) to prevent the sale of non-vegetarian food and ensure the preservation of the sanctity of the area, amid renewed tension between the Jain and Adivasi communities. Parasnath Hill
About Parasnath Hill
- Parasnath Hills are located in Giridih district, Jharkhand and are among the highest peaks in the Chotanagpur Plateau.
- It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1978.
- The hill is a site of deep religious and cultural significance for both the Santal Adivasi community and the Jain community.
Jain Beliefs and Claims
- The Parasnath Hills are known as Sammed Shikharji among Jains and are considered one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Jainism.
- According to Jain beliefs, 22 out of the 24 Tirthankaras attained moksha (liberation) on this hill. The 27-kilometre pilgrimage route on the hill features 20 Tonks (shrines), each dedicated to a Tirthankara.
- Today, the hill is dotted with over 40 Jain temples and religious shrines, making it a major pilgrimage site for Jains across the country.
- Jains follow a spiritually motivated vegetarian lifestyle and strongly object to activities such as hunting and the consumption or sale of meat and other non-vegetarian items in the area, as they consider such practices to be a violation of the sanctity of the holy site.
Santhal Beliefs and Practices
- The Parasnath Hills are revered by the Santhal community as Marang Buru, the supreme deity and a symbol of justice, protection, and spiritual strength in their animistic tradition.
- The hills are home to the Jug Jaher Than, the most sacred grove for the Santals, where important rituals are performed to honour their deities.
- Another significant site on the hill is the Dishom Manjhi Than, which serves as the ritual seat of tribal leadership and is central to the community’s customary practices.
- Every year, during the month of Baisakh (April–May), the Santals celebrate the Sendra Festival, a traditional ritual hunt, during which men from the community enter the forest to participate in this culturally significant rite of passage.
- The hill also serves as a judicial and political space where the Lo Bir Baisi, a tribal council, gathers to resolve disputes. Historically, this council passed a resolution in 1855 that led to the Santal Hul rebellion against British colonial and feudal oppression.
