Jainism in Bihar

Author(s): P C Roy Choudhary
Publisher: P C Roy Choudhary Patna

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several kos distant from the math of Kuntnath to which the ascending path arrives, and as some of them can only be mounted by climbing, this is indeed a penance of extreme labour and fatigue. The length and tediousness of this duty is increased by their strict forbearance from committing any kind of impurity whatever within the holy precinct and as it is their custom to eat by daylight only to avoid incurring the destruction of the smallest insect several excursions to the summit are necessary for the accomplishment of the pilgrimage. Each gumti is a solid pile of brick work, varying in height and size according to the facility its station afforded to the builders. The largest does not exceed eight feet in height and the same in length and breadth while some appeared not to be larger than one fourth of these dimensions. In each of these buildings is a small recess, on the flat of which is marked the print of a foot revered as the charan (or last foot mark upon earth) of the Tirthankar whose name is engraved beneath...... The visits and salutations to several charans on the peaks are concluded by a more deliberate adoration at the temple of Parsvanath. After concluding the duties on the mountain, those who desire to leave no claim to a sanctified character unadvanced perform a circuit round the base, starting from Madhuban to which they again return after traversing a circle of at least thirty miles. From this place the greater part of the pilgrims depart for the other temple at Pawapuri in Bihar and Champapuri near Bhagalpur."
Parasnath hill is visited by thousands of Jain pilgrims and other visitors every year. There could be better facilities afforded to the tourists. Nature