Jains set to send idols to new pilgrimage site in Guj

MUMBAI:THE Jain community on Tuesday started a week-long consecration ceremony for idols of Jain teachers and gurus at Cross Maidan, Marine Lines. These idols would then be transported to Gujarat where a new pilgrimage site will be inaugurated in February 2021.

The new pilgrimage site will be called Shankeshwarpuram and is around 15km from Palitana in Gujarat, a major pilgrimage centre for the community. The new site would be made to replicate Shankeshwar, another pilgrimage site of the community, which is 275km from Palitana.

“A lot of devotees visit Shankeshwar temple once a month on an auspicious day, but covering Palitana and Shankeshwar on the same day isn’t possible because of the distance. Now, we would have two pilgrimages next to each other,” said Suresh D Shah, managing trustee of Shankeshwar Karuna trust, which is setting up the pilgrimage site. Shah said that around 15,000 Jain monks use the route yearly where the new pilgrimage site would come up. Around two lakh members of the community visit Palitana every month.

Anuyogacharya Shri Labdhichandra Sagar Maharaj, who would be performing the consecration ceremony, said that around 500 monks and 5,000 members of the community would be present at the event on Sunday. Labdhichandra added that it was the first time that a consecration ceremony of this magnitude was taking place in the city.

“More than 5,000 devotees have contributed towards the event and the religious site, ranging from ₹100 to ₹5 crore. These devotees are across communities and include Sikhs and Christians as well. Considering most of the devotees are from Mumbai, we decided to have the event here,” said Pratesh Shah, trustee of Shankeshwar Karuna trust.