Mangi-Tungi Jain Pinnacle Pilgrimage

Mangi-Tungi rises from the Selbari range in Baglan (Satana) taluka, in the far north-west of Nashik district, about 125 kilometres from Nashik city. Two basalt pinnacles stand shoulder to shoulder above the Khandesh plains, joined by a saddle of rock: Mangi, the western crag, at 4,343 feet (1,324 m), and Tungi, the eastern one, at 4,366 feet (1,331 m).

• Digambar Jains revere the hill as a siddha-kshetra, a place from which souls attained liberation, and tradition holds that Ram, Hanuman, Sugriva, Sudeel, Gavya, Gavaakhyha, Nila, Mahaneel and ninety-nine crore munis reached moksha here.
• That is why the ascent is made as a devotional circuit of the sanctified rock rather than as a viewpoint walk.
• The flanks of both pinnacles are honeycombed with rock-cut caves and shrines, more of them on Mangi than on Tungi - published counts for the Mangi side range from six to ten, while Tungi is consistently given two.
• Their walls carry Tirthankara images seated in padmasana and standing in kayotsarga, along with footprint (charan) shrines and weathered Sanskrit inscriptions.
• Some idols here are dated as early as 595 CE and the cave temples are generally attributed to the seventh and eighth centuries.
• Individual caves are named for Tirthankaras - Adinath, Shantinath, Parshvanath, Mahavir, Chandraprabhu - and for Ram, so the walk around each peak becomes a slow procession past image after image cut from the living rock.
• The site's modern landmark is the Statue of Ahimsa, a 108-foot standing figure of Rishabhanatha (Adinath), the first Tirthankara, hewn from a single face of the Mangi hill rather than assembled from blocks.
• Its foundation stone was laid in 1996 under the inspiration of the Digambar Jain aryika Gyanmati Mataji, carving began on site in 2002, and the figure was completed on 24 January 2016 and consecrated in February 2016 - the Panch Kalyanaka Pratistha ran from 11 to 17 February and the first mahamastakabhisheka followed on 18 February.
• Guinness World Records certified it in March 2016 as the tallest Jain idol in the world, and the serene, downcast-eyed figure is visible from far across the valley.
• Reaching the shrines is a genuine effort.
• Around 3,500 stone steps climb from the base village of Bhilwad to the foot of the pinnacles, roughly 7,000 up and down, and circling both peaks to take in the caves adds more; most pilgrims allow three to four hours for the round trip plus time at the shrines.
• Start at dawn: the stairway is almost entirely exposed, there is no reliable water on the route, and the rock radiates heat by late morning.
• A Digambar Jain trust manages the tirtha and runs dharamshala lodging as well as the pilgrim dining hall at the base, and palki (palanquin) bearers can usually be arranged there for anyone unable to walk.
• October to February is the kindest window, while the monsoon leaves the steps slick and is best avoided.
• Sturdy shoes, modest dress and quiet inside the cave shrines are all expected.
• Food here is simple and pilgrim-oriented rather than varied.
• The Digambar Jain dharamshala at Bhilwad runs a bhojanalaya serving a sattvik Jain thali of dal, sabzi, roti, rice and chhaas, usually cooked without onion, garlic or root vegetables, so ask for the Jain plate and check what is being served before you sit down.
• Beyond that, the market town of Satana, about 30 kilometres away, has modest thali and misal houses, and there are tea and snack stalls along the approach road; at any of them, confirm the kitchen is fully vegetarian before you order rather than assuming it.
• Carry fruit, dry snacks and at least two litres of water per person for the climb itself, because there is nothing dependable to buy on the steps.