The alleged vandalisation of Jain Tirthankara idols on the stairs leading to the Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir atop Pavagadh hill near Vadodara has sparked widespread outrage among the local Jain community.
As per a report, the Jain Sangh of Vadodara led by Maharaj Saheb marched to the residence of the collector to lodge a formal complaint besides issuing a three-day ultimatum to restore the idols. He called for non-violent protests and stressed the need for unity within the Jain Sangh, emphasising that the preservation of ancient architecture is government's responsibility.
Jain leader Deepak Shah claimed that the idols were dismantled under the supervision of the site manager, Vikram, who discarded them as 'garbage'. “The Jain community will not rest until the idols are restored,” he said. While Jainism advocates non-violence, Shah underlined that this principle “should not be mistaken for passivity”. He also warned against attempts to divide the community and demanded the maintenance of all temples in Pavagadh, which have been worship sites for centuries.
The Pavagadh temple trustee Ashokbhai clarified that the idols were not broken intentionally. He said, "The idols were placed in the old temple. People were informed about the shifting even before the work started 20 days ago. It was informed long ago that if anyone wants to keep the idols, then they should take them away. Despite requests, no one come forward to take away the idols." Ashokbhai said that during shifting one idol was damaged and it was not intentional. He said that if anybody wanted to worship these idols, then they would be reinstalled
