2 Jain monks died in four days in protest against tourism at religious sites

Jain cleric who was fasting in opposition to the Jharkhand government’s choice to designate religious landmark Sammed Shikhar as a tourism destination, passed away late on Thursday night. In the past four days, there have been two incidents of this nature.

At the Sanghiji temple in Sanganer in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, the monk was fasting. Sugyeysagar Maharaj, a Jain monk who had been fasting in the Sanghiji temple, had already passed away.

Subhash Jain, the president of the Rajasthan Jain Sabha, claimed that the monk passed away while fasting in protest of the Jharkhand government’s choice.

In Jharkhand’s Parasnath Hills, there is a Jain pilgrimage site called Sammed Shikharji. The neighbourhood objected to the state government’s decision to make it a tourism destination. They worry that the choice will compromise the site’s holiness.

The Jain religious site Sammed Shikharji is located on Parasnath Hill. On Thursday, the Union government halted all tourism activities there and ordered the Jharkhand government to immediately take all necessary precautions to protect the site’s sanctity.

The Jain monks have said that they will abstain from eating unless the Jharkhand government follows suit.