Mangi-Tungi hills are anicent and mystical hills, where it was named Mangi and Tungi have two cliffs of a single mountain named after them. The only rivalry here is who’s a few feet taller. Mangi peaks at 4343 feet above sea level, while Tungi stands at 4366 feet.
If you’re a fan of caves, you’ll love it here! There are six caves on Mangi hill and two caves on Tungi hill, where you’ll find more than 600 Jaina images of the tirthankaras in the padmasana and kayotsarga positions. The inscriptions on these idols may not be clear, but they date back to V.S. 651, and there are several Sanskrit inscriptions in Adinath & Shantinath caves that are still legible, including one from V. S. 1400 in the Adinath Cave.
The Mangi-Tungi hills are home to several caves named after deities and sages who were liberated here, such as Seetaji, Mahaveer, Adinath, Shantinath, Parshwanath & Ratnatrya. Their idols are found in yogic postures in these caves, including the Balabhadra cave, where you’ll find several idols in similar positions. But the real showstopper is the 31-foot-tall statue of Bhagwan Bahubali, recently erected for all to see.
As for the history of this shrine, it’s difficult to pinpoint its antiquity, but from the idols, caves, water reservoirs, and inscriptions found here, it’s evident that the shrine is thousands of years old. It’s said that Maryada Purushotam Sri Ramachandraji, Pavanputra hanumanji, Sri Sugrivji, and countless Jain saints attained Moksha here. Legend has it that Lord Sri Krishna, a Tirthankar-to-be of the future set of 24 in the next cycle of time, and his brother Sri Balram took shelter in this forest when the city of Dwarka was destroyed in fire. When Lord Sri Krishna was struck by an arrow from Jaradkumar in this forest, he left his mortal coils. His brother, Sri Balramji, performed the final rites in the middle of these mountains, and even today, there stands a memorial on that spot. Sri Balramji, after getting disillusioned with worldly life, realized that it was the forest where he should practice intense austerities and proceeded to heaven.
The road leading to the Mangi-Tungi hills is extremely dangerous, with many curves on the top where Jain idols are installed. But don’t let that discourage you! The nearby forts of Kanchanpur and Mulher and the village of Mulher are of historical significance. And at the base of the mountain, there are a total of three temples: two of Sri Parshvanath Bhagwan and one of Sri Adhinath Bhagwan.
In the whole of India, there are only a few mountains with as many caves, ancient idols, and water reservoirs as Mangi-Tungi. This place is a veritable treasure trove of ancient art that’s difficult to describe in words. The artistic Jain idols of Tirthankars and saints, together with exquisitely carved images of gods and goddesses in dancing moods and postures of a great variety, found in these caves are rarely seen anywhere else. So, come visit Mangi-Tungi, where even the Adivasi people feel fulfilled by its magic!
