Why Jains Are Asking For 'Right To Girnar 5th Peak'?
‘#JainRightToGirnar5thPeak’ is trending on social media, where Jains are demanding the protection of the right to worship at Girnar. Girnar is situated in Junagadh, Gujarat, which is a vital Jain pilgrimage site. The site is celebrated as the location where Bhagwan Neminath, the 22nd Tirthankar, achieved Nirvana. The mountain hosts many Jain temples.
Notably, the ‘Moksha Kalyanak’ of Bhagwan Neminath falls on July 2 this year, and pilgrims chant ‘Neminath Prabhu’ and offer Nirvan Laddu on the Girnar’s sacred 5th peak. However, reports have been circulating about the encroachment of the Jains’ religious and spiritual place by the Dattatreya sect followers. Jains are reportedly not allowed to perform religious activites in peace or offer Nirvan Laddus at the religious site.
Enough is Enough!
Jains are being stopped from chanting ‘Neminath Prabhu ki Jai’ and offering Nirvan Laddu on Girnar’s sacred 5th peak!
This is our Moksha Bhoomi, not a place to be restricted.#JainRightToGirnar5thPeak pic.twitter.com/2QGkRBkhrE— Arpita Shaiva (@arpispeaks) July 2, 2025
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Earlier In 2004, Gujarat High Court ordered to remove the encroachment from the Girnar 5th peak to allow seamless worship by the Jains on the mountain hill.
The issue between Hindus and Jains has been ongoing for so long, as Jain claims the first right to worship on the 5th peak of the Girnar Hills at the foot imprints of the 22 Tirthankara Lord Neminatha.
While Jains consider those foot imprints of Neminatha, Hindus calls them the imprints of Dattatreya, an avatar of Lord Vishnu.
The two religious outfits – Jain Dharm Sanrakshan Maha Sangh and Sakal Digamber Jain Sadharmi Sahyog Pratishthan have filed a peition to the court to establish their primary right to worship at the fifth peak of Girnar. They provided documents from the Mughal and British eras to show their claims on the site.
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Moreover, Gujarat state had already issued a notice under the Gujarat Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act, in which the 5th peak of Girnar was declared a protected monument. However, the encroachment have not stopped reportedly.
