An important Jain pilgrimage site has been closed to tourism by the Indian government.
On top of the tallest mountain in Jharkhand state, Sammed Shikharji is situated in an area that is sensitive to the environment.
Alcohol consumption and the consumption of non-vegetarian food are examples of “defiling the site” activities that the government has asked the state to outlaw.
There are about 4.5 million members of the religious minority known as the Jain community.
Devout Jains follow the tenets of their religion under the spiritual guidance of monks. These include detailed prescriptions for daily life, especially what to eat, what not to eat and when to eat.
The community fears that tourism to the pilgrimage site in Jharkhand will harm the sanctity of the area.
Members have been protesting against the state government’s move to turn the site into a tourist spot for some weeks.
In 2019, the environment ministry had approved tourism activities at Parasnath Hill – where the site is located – following the state government’s proposal.
On Thursday, it sent a letter to the state government stating that the site was important not just for the community but the entire nation.
It asked the state to immediately stop all “tourism and eco-tourism” activities at the site and to enforce all rules applicable to eco-sensitive zones.
This includes banning “loud music, the sale and consumption of intoxicants, defiling sites of religious and cultural significance” and activities that can harm the ecology of the area.
Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav tweeted that the federal government was committed to “preserving and protecting the rights of the Jain community over all their religious sites, including Sammed Shikhar”.