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Sacred Parasnath/Marang Buru Hill
Old friction between Jains & Santals
Context: The Jharkhand High Court directed the state government to strictly enforce a long-standing ban on the sale and consumption of meat, alcohol, and other intoxicants around Parasnath Hill — a sacred site for both the Jain and Santal Adivasi communities in Giridih district. This order rekindles a century-old inter-community conflict over religious and customary rights to the region.
Why Parasnath Hill Is Sacred to Jains and Santals
- Known as Parasnath to Jains and Marang Buru to Santals, the hill holds deep religious significance for both groups.
- For Jains, Parasnath is among the holiest sites — they believe that 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained nirvana here.
- The name “Parasnath” is derived from Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara. Today, over 40 Jain temples and shrines adorn the hill.
- For the Santal Adivasis, Marang Buru, or “Great Mountain,” is the supreme deity in their animist tradition.
- It is home to the Jug Jaher Than, the most sacred grove in Santal dharma, and the Dishom Manjhi Than, the symbolic seat of traditional tribal leadership.
- Historically, the site also served as the meeting place for the Lo Bir Baisi, a tribal council that launched the 1855 Santal Hul rebellion against British colonial and feudal oppression.
A Conflict Rooted in Custom and Coexistence
- Despite claims of peaceful coexistence, tensions between the communities have simmered for decades.
- Jains believe that the hill was donated to their community by a local king, while official records like the 1957 Hazaribagh District Gazetteer suggest the earliest Jain structures date only to 1765.
- The legal dispute over rights to the hill was formally recorded in 1911, when Jain groups attempted to ban the Santal Sendra festival — an annual three-day hunting ritual that takes place on the hill.
- Courts consistently ruled in favor of the Santals.
- A 1917 Patna High Court verdict dismissed Jain objections as “hyper sentimental,” and the British-era Privy Council upheld the Santals’ customary right to conduct Sendra on the hill.
- However, for Jains who follow a strict vegetarian lifestyle, the hunting rituals of Sendra continue to be a point of contention.
Post-Independence Erosion of Adivasi Rights
- After Independence, legislative and administrative changes gradually curtailed Adivasi control over the region.
- In 1972, with the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act, nearby Adivasi villages lost their constitutional protections under the Fifth Schedule.
- By 1978, the forest around Marang Buru was designated a wildlife sanctuary, making traditional rituals and hunting illegal.
- From the 1970s to 2000 — when Jharkhand was carved out as a separate state — major Santal religious ceremonies on the hill were halted.
- The movement to reclaim tribal rites gained momentum in the 2000s, but faced strong opposition.
- In 2008, prominent activist Ajay Tudu, who led efforts to revive Santal rituals, was assassinated by unknown assailants.
2023 Government Order and the High Court’s Latest Ruling
- The most recent flashpoint came in 2023, when the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a memorandum prohibiting the sale and consumption of meat, eggs, and alcohol within a 25-km radius of Parasnath Hill — affecting 99 predominantly tribal villages.
- The order extended to schools and Anganwadi centres as well, according to Giridih Deputy Commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra.
- Following a petition by Jain groups, the Jharkhand High Court instructed the state government to ensure full enforcement of this ban.
- Security has been stepped up with increased deployment of home guards in the area.
- Despite the restrictions, the Santals observed Sendra again this year, asserting their right to ancestral traditions.
- The Marang Buru Sanvta Susaar Baisi (MBSSB), a local tribal body led by Sikandar Hembrom, has filed a counter-petition challenging the High Court’s order and reasserting tribal sovereignty over Marang Buru.
