Hidden In MP Forests For Centuries, 1,000-Year-Old Footprints May Belong To Jain Saint

Last Updated:May 17, 2026, 11:58 IST

Archaeologists said the significance of the discovery increased after a weathered inscription was found beside one of the prominent pairs of footprints

An archaeological survey in Jamgarh village of Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district has uncovered a nearly 800-metre-long trail of footprints carved into rocky terrain, along with a two-line inscription in early Nagari script believed to date back to the 10th-11th century.

Historians believe the engraved pathway may be linked to a Jain monk who once travelled through the forested region.

The discovery was made by archaeologist Nancy Sharma and her colleague Milnath Petele from the Bhopal chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage during a field survey, the Times of India reported.

“I had gone to a nearby site for an inspection when some locals told me about this spot that was way above the village and not so easy to find, unless you were looking for it. Some of the footsteps have withered with time, some have been tampered with, but most of them are still well-preserved," Nancy said.

Archaeologists said the significance of the discovery increased after a weathered inscription was found beside one of the prominent pairs of footprints. According to MM Upadhyay, convener of INTACH Madhya Pradesh, the inscription includes terms such as ‘Śrī’, ‘siddha’, ‘pāda’, ‘pandita’ and ‘kāritaḥ’, which are associated with sacred commemorative traditions.

“The findings were examined by Ravi Shankar, former director of the epigraphy department of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who identified the script as early Nagari characters of the Parmar period," said Upadhyay.

Veteran archaeologist and Parmar history expert Ramesh Yadav linked the footprints to the spread of Jain traditions in Madhya Pradesh during the 10th and 11th centuries.

“In the 10th-11th century, there are many instances of Jain temples coming up in MP. Jain temples near Bhojpur are an example. These footprints found in Raisen could most likely be of a very learned Jain saint. Use of the word ‘siddha’ in the inscription points to this fact, as this term has been prominently used for Jain munis (sages). The way those footsteps end almost 600 metres from the caves suggests the saint could be on the way to his moksha samadhi," Yadav said.

Arvind Jain, an expert on ancient Jain history, said the word ‘pandita’ in the inscription may have referred to the saint’s wisdom and spiritual stature.

Experts noted that while sacred footprints are seen in Buddhist, Jain and Shaiva traditions, a long-inscribed pathway carved into living rock remains an unusual archaeological find.

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