Fire in Shetrunjay Hills Reserve Forest Area

Recently, a fire broke in the Shetrunjay Hills reserve forest area of Gujarat. The forest area is the habitat of Asiatic lions in the Bhavnagar territorial forest division. The fire had engulfed an area of about 200 hectares before it was bought under control on March 14, 2021.

Key Facts

The officers of the Bhavnagar territorial forest division highlighted that the fire started in the revenue area of Kanjarda village of Palitana taluka. Later it spread to the Shetrunjay Dungar Reserve Forest.

Shatrunjaya or Shetrunjaya

The hills are located in Palitana city of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. The hills are located on the banks of river Shetrunji and are considered as a sacred hill by Jains. It has an altitude of164 feet above sea level. These hills are similar to other hills where Jain temples have been built in Gwalior, Mount Abu, Bihar and Girnar. The hills are bounded by the Gulf of Khambhat in the south and Bhavnagar town in the north.

Background

The Jain’s sacred hill of Shatrunjaya comprises of 865 temples on it. These hills were sanctified when Rishabha gave his first sermon atop the hill. Rishabha was the first tirthankara of Jainism. The ancient history related to the hills can also be traced to Pundarika Swami who was a chief Ganadhara and grandson of Rishabha. Swami had attained Nirvana or Moksha on the hill.

Shetrunji River

It is an eastward-flowing river in Gujarat. The river rises in the northeast of Gir Hills. The river has a maximum length of 227 kilometres.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2021