Jain community, ASI fight over a pillar at Ellora

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)’s proposal to relocate a 48-year-old pillar from the entrance of the Ellora caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Aurangabad, has attracted the ire of Jain community members.

The ASI’s Aurangabad Circle has sought to “shift” the Jain Keerti Stambh, arguing that since the caves showcase the remains of three religions i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, having a pillar that “represents one religion…does not look good.”

It has also stated that the pillar is located in front of the ASI’s main gate, and that it attracts hawkers and has become an accident-prone zone.

Dr Milan Kumar Chauley, Superintending Archeologist at the ASI’s Aurangabad Circle, has accused the local Jain community of illegally setting up a Jain temple on ASI land, and, in a letter dated February 9 to the ASI’s Director-General, stated that Ellora is a World Heritage monument “where not only Jainism but also Brahmanical Buddhist [sic] caves exist, which is visited by lakhs of national and international tourists every year, and the Jain Stambh erected in front of the main entrance has not only been an eyesore at the entrance but is also a case of accidents in front of the gate as it acts as a barricade against traffic.”

The letter said the pillar not only hinders the traffic, but leads to accumulation of vendors and monkeys in front of the caves.

“It is requested that headquarters may also take up the matter with the state government not to make it a religious issue and for the popularity of the monument and growth of tourism, it should be shifted to some other place,” Chauley urged the director general in the letter.

In a report titled ‘Issues at monument/sites under the jurisdiction of Archeological Survey of India, Aurangabad Circle, which needs attention from the Honourable Minister for Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra,’ the ASI’s district administration has suggested: “The Jain Stambha from in front of the main gate of the monument to be shifted, as it represents one religion and its location in front of a world heritage monument showcasing remains of three great religions does not look good.”

The report has suggested that the monument should be developed and all the vendors should be shifted to the visitors’ centre.

Senior Jain community members have termed the move as “communal.” According to them, the pillar was erected in 1974 to commemorate the 2,500th Nirvana Mahotsava of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, and the words ‘Jio Aur Jeene Do” (Live and Let Live) inscribed on the stambh is a testament to his teachings. They believe that the pillar does not propagate any specific religion but instead is a symbol of non-violence, truth, and peace.

The Jain community, represented by the Joint body of All India Organizations namely Digamber Jain Mahasabha, Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha, Tirth-kshetra Committee, Parishad and Mahasamiti, have opposed the ASI’s “ill-conceived move against a minority community” and are likely to move the DG-ASI, Union Culture Ministry and National Commission for Minorities against the measure.

Dr Bimal Jain, co-coordinator, All India Digamber Jain Organisations (coordination committee), said: “UNESCO had not raised any objection to it while deciding it as a World Heritage site in 1983 as they do a detailed scrutiny before deciding and also demands mandatory removal of hurdles before the declaration. It is legally time-barred. No new construction is coming up. The recommendation is ill-conceived with a communal hatred plan. ASI can make gates symbolising Buddhist and Hindu caves in their beautification plan.”

Speaking with The Federal, he claimed that the stambh’s location had been approved in the ’70s by the then government as well as the ASI itself. “The stambh is symbolic,” he said. “The decision to erect the pillar at the said location was taken during a national event…but if it is shifted to some corner, then its dignity will diminish. Something that was constructed almost 50 years ago…uske saath chhed chhad karne ki kya zaroorat hai? (What is the need to tamper with it?). We are objecting because the feelings of our community have been hurt.”

“All five nationally recognised Jain bodies have asked for effective steps to thwart the nefariously designed recommendation of SA, Aurangabad Circle, at the highest central level. We are going to approach them on Monday. If need be, we will demand action against communal minded Chauley,” he said.

Jain said the forum will also lodge their complaint with the chief minister, the tourism minister, secretary and director of Tourism, Maharashtra Minorities Commission, Collector Aurangabad and Aurangabad Mahapalika Commissioner.

When contacted, Dr Milan Kumar Chauley told The Federal that there were multiple reasons why he proposed the removal of the pillar from the said location; they range from having received complaints from tourist buses and the local shopkeepers association to it being a traffic nuisance and making the vicinity an accident-prone zone.

“We don’t want to replace it…we have requested them to remove it from there,” he said. “It’s a World Heritage property. You have three religions being represented there. Someone put it (the pillar) up there in the 70s—before the caves had received the tag of World Heritage monument (1983). Today the problem is that because of COVID and other things there is lot of unemployment and there is an increase in number of hawkers there. It (the stambh) is not located at a tri-junction or crossroads…it is almost in front of the (ASI) main gate. It is acting as a barricade for traffic to move. All the hawkers are taking the shade of the structure and are selling everything from handicrafts to food items. Because of these hawkers, people complain to us that you (ASI) are not managing the entrance,” he said.

The Ellora caves consist of over a hundred caves. Of this, only 34 are open to the general public. According to Chauley, the “biggest problem” is that the Jain community has illegally occupied a cave beyond cave number 34 “during the same period when they have erected the pillar” and converted this into a temple. “Not only a temple, but they have also encroached an area within ASI protected land. They are making this (shifting of the pillar) issue to hide the other issue.”

Raising the issue in his letter to the DG-ASI, he had said: “This office has remained quiet for a very long time that the Jain community has taken physical possession of one of the caves beyond Cave No. 34 on the other side of the hill in the early ‘70s and has converted it into a modern temple and all this is in the ASI protected area.” He also added that ever since the news about the shifting of the stambh began doing the rounds, his office has “received a letter for the erection of Ashokan pillar in front of the entrance from Shri Makarand Lankeshwar, Heritage Mitra.”

“In our country, if anyone is taken as anti-social or anti-national, you neutralise him. This is a structure which has been harming people…so what is the problem in relocating it?” he said. “Our people (in India) have learned that if you make anything a religious issue, then it becomes a priority for everyone. We are talking about tourism and the pride of this country.”

Lastly, Chauley said: “I am at the grass root level. There are many people sitting above me in the DG office and Ministry, so if they give in writing that it (the stambh) should be there, I have no objection. Let it be there.”

Vardhaman Pande has been the caretaker of the stambh since 1975. Also the president of Shri Parshwanath Brahmacharyashram Jain Gurukul of Verul, Pande says apart from maintaining the pillar, his job includes asking hawkers and vendors to stay away from it.

Speaking with The Federal, he said: “ASI claims that it had informed us about shifting the stambh almost a month ago—but we have checked all our records and we have received no such notice. We only came to know of it when we read the news in a local newspaper for the first time on February 8. We met Chauley on February 9 and asked him to reconsider asking us to shift the pillar and put it somewhere else. Basically, he is not removing it—but is asking us to remove it from there.”

When asked if the ASI had kept the Jain community in the dark about this issue, he said: “They say they haven’t done so and that they had informed us…but we had no idea that this move was in the works.” Pointing fingers at Chauley, he said: “This (issue) has become personal since the then-government and ASI had allowed us to erect this pillar, but now the Superintending Archaeologist is asking us to remove it.”