Mangi-Tungi and the Statue of Ahimsa

The twin peaks of Mangi and Tungi, rising side by side in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, form one of the most ancient and sacred siddhakshetras of the Digambara tradition, a place where according to Jain belief vast numbers of ascetics attained liberation. The rocky pinnacles, connected by a ridge, are honeycombed with ancient caves and carved with images of the Tirthankaras, and the pilgrimage here has drawn devotees for many centuries. In recent years the site has gained worldwide renown as the home of the Statue of Ahimsa, the tallest Jain statue in the world.

The Statue of Ahimsa depicts Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, standing in the meditative kayotsarga posture, and it rises to a height of 108 feet, or some 121 feet including its pedestal, carved from the rock of the Mangi-Tungi hills. Completed in 2016, the colossus was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the tallest Jain idol, and it was created through the inspiration of the Jain nun Aryika Gyanmati and the efforts of the Digambara community. The great white figure, visible from far across the surrounding country, has become a landmark of the modern Jain world.

Yet the sanctity of Mangi-Tungi long predates the modern statue, for the twin peaks have been revered as a siddhakshetra since antiquity, and the caves that riddle the pinnacles are carved with ancient images of the Tirthankaras and other Jain figures. Pilgrims climb the steep paths and steps that ascend the hills to visit these caves and shrines, and the traditional pilgrimage involves the circumambulation of the peaks and the veneration of the many images carved into the rock. The belief that innumerable ascetics attained liberation here gives the site its profound sanctity.

The ascent of Mangi-Tungi is demanding, involving a long climb up thousands of steps to reach the ridge between the two peaks and the caves and shrines that adorn them, and the pilgrimage is undertaken as an act of devotion and endurance. From the heights, the views over the Maharashtra landscape are magnificent, and the combination of natural grandeur and ancient sanctity makes the pilgrimage deeply moving. The addition of the great Statue of Ahimsa has given the site a new focus of veneration while enhancing its ancient importance.

The site is maintained by the Digambara community and is well provided with pilgrim facilities at the base, drawing large numbers of devotees, particularly during festival seasons and following the completion of the great statue. The blend of ancient rock-cut heritage and modern monumental sculpture makes Mangi-Tungi a place where the deep past and the living present of the tradition meet.

The two peaks, with their caves, their carved images, and now their towering statue, form a sacred landscape rather than a single monument, and the pilgrimage is a journey through a hallowed terrain rich in the memory of liberation. The name Mangi-Tungi has come to stand for the endurance of the Digambara tradition and its capacity for renewal, as an ancient siddhakshetra was crowned in our own age with the tallest image of a Tirthankara in the world.

Mangi-Tungi lies in the Nashik district of Maharashtra and is reached by road, with Nashik serving as the nearest major transport centre, connected by rail and road to Mumbai and the wider region. The cooler months from October to February are the most comfortable for the climb.

For the Digambara pilgrim, Mangi-Tungi offers both the ancient sanctity of a great siddhakshetra and the awe of the world's tallest Jain statue, a place where the liberation of countless ascetics is remembered and where the first Tirthankara now stands 108 feet tall against the sky.