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Showing contexts for: parasnath hill in Dhanu Lal Suchanti vs Hukum Chand on 15 November, 1935Matching Fragments
1. This is an appeal from an order and decree of the High Court at Patna affirming an order of the Subordinate Judge of Patna in execution of a decree obtained by the plaintiffs, who represent the Digambari sect of Jains, against the defendants, who represent the Swetambari sect, in a suit instituted pursuant to Order I, Rule 8, of the Code of Civil Procedure in respect of the rights claimed by the Digambaris in three ancient temples at Pawapuri and Porkharpur in the Patna District. The dispute which is the subject of this appeal arises out of the centuries-old differences between the two sects of Jains as to whether the wearing of clothes or adornments is prohibited by their religion. The Digambaris who are necessarily debarred from fully observing this prohibition are under no such restriction as to the images which they venerate or worship. It is alleged in the plaint that images which do not represent the natural figure of man as born without any clothes or adornment are not " worshippable " by the Digambari Jains. On the other hand the images worshipped by the Swetambaris are both clothed and adorned; and it is stated in the plaint that in one of the suit temples there are two sets of images one clothed and the other unclothed which are worshipped by the Swetambaris and the Digambaris respectively. Both sects also venerate or worship charans or representations of the footsteps of their Tirthankaras or saintly personages at the places where in times long past they attained Nirvana or salvation. Most of these charans are situated on the Parasnath Hill in Chota Nagpore, and were the subject of the suit which recently came before this board in Hukum Chand v. Mahmaj Bahadur Singh (1933) L.R. 60 I. A. 313 : s.c. 35 Bom. L.R. 990.