The number 11,80,000 years for Antriksh Parshwanath’s idol is a matter of Jain tradition and faith (paramparā), not something proven by modern historical or scientific methods.

In simple terms:

1. Where does 11,80,000 years come from?

- This age is usually mentioned in the tīrth–māhātmya (history/glory of the tirth) and in oral guru–paramparā. - Many Jain tirths (like Shankheshwar, Girnar, Antrikshji, etc.) are described as having idols made in previous time‑cycles / previous chauvīsīs, so their “age” is counted in lakhon, croreon varsh according to Jain time‑theory, not according to human archaeological history.

1. What kind of “proof” do we have?

In Jain terms there are three different levels:

- Śāstriya / Āgamik pramāṇ (scriptural / traditional proof) - Stories of how the idol was created (often connected with devs, Dharnendra, previous Tirthankars, etc.) - Tirth‑māhātmyas and kathā‑granths narrated by sādhus, sādhvīs, and pandits. - This is the basis for saying “11,80,000 years.”

- Itihās / local paramparā (historical tradition) - Old families, sanghs, and trusts pass down the same number for generations. - Miraculous incidents (floating idol, etc.) strengthen devotees’ shraddhā in the antiquity and divinity of the mūrti.

- Laukik / scientific pramāṇ (modern history, archaeology) - For 11,80,000 years, there is no archaeological or scientific dating (carbon‑dating, inscriptional evidence, etc.) that can prove this number in the way modern historians would accept. - From a historian’s view, the stone idol we see today is almost certainly much younger (most likely within the last few thousand years, not lakhon varsh).

1. How do Jains usually understand this?

- Many Jains take “11,80,000 years” as śraddhā‑based, shāstriya truth, connected with Jain kāl‑chakra (very long time‑cycles). - Some understand it like this: - The design / concept / pratishtha of this idol is from a very ancient time (previous eras), - While the physical stone form we see now stands within our known history. - Others accept that the exact number cannot be “proved” in a scientific way, but they still respect it as tirth‑paramparā and don’t make it the main point; for them, the spiritual power (adhiṣṭhān) matters more than the exact date.

1. Clear answer to your question

- If by “proof” you mean faith‑based, traditional Jain proof → Yes, the number comes from tirth‑māhātmya, sādhu–paramparā, and long‑standing local tradition. - If by “proof” you mean modern scientific or archaeological proof → No, we do not currently have such proof that the physical idol is really 11,80,000 years old.

So, the statement “Antriksh Parshwanath idol is 11,80,000 years old” should be understood as a Jain traditional belief rooted in shāstra and paramparā, not as a scientifically verified historical date.