Editorial

Summary

This editorial focuses on the long-standing sectarian dispute between the Digambara and Svetambara Jain communities over the ownership and management of Mount Sammeda (Pārśvanātha Hill)—a sacred Jain pilgrimage site believed to be where 21 Tirthankaras attained nirvāṇa. Key Points: 1. Background of the Dispute: Although both sects revere the site, the Svetambaras held exclusive administrative control for decades, which the Digambaras contested. Legal challenges were ongoing for years. 2. Patna High Court Judgment (1997): Justice P.K. Deb ruled that no sect has exclusive rights over Mount Sammeda. The site belongs to the Jain community as a whole, invalidating claims by the Anandji-Kalyanji trust of the Svetambara sect. 3. Legal Grounds: The court noted that, post-abolition of the zamindari system, the land was vested with the state of Bihar, and as a religious institution, it should be jointly managed by a state-formed committee and Jain representatives. 4. Supreme Court Dismissal (November 1997): The appeal by the Svetambara trust was dismissed by the Supreme Court, upholding the High Court's verdict, as reported in Gommatavani, a Kannada Jain journal. 5. Significance for Global Jain Community: The editorial celebrates this as a moment of unity, encouraging shared sanctity and management of Jain pilgrimage sites across sectarian lines, especially among North American Jains aiming to foster a united Jain identity.