Shri Sammed Shikharji is the most important of Jain pilgrimages. The main temple is located on the top of Parasnath hill, the highest point in the state of Jharkhand. There are a total of eight hills here, on which numerous Digambar and Shwetambar temples and along the trek route to Shikharji are located. There are 30 Tonks at various distances on the way up. A Tonk is a temple that was built on a place where a saint (Siddh) meditated and achieved Moksha.
The Peak of Concentration of Shri Sammed Shikharji:-
Sammed Shikharji when translated, means ‘highly revered peak of concentration’. This name comes from the fact that 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras achieved the highest position of Moksha at this place. The name Parasnath comes from the 23rd Tirthankara Shri Parshvanath, one of the twenty who achieved Moksha. Shri Sammed Shikharji has been declared as an official place of worship by the Government of Jharkhand.
Madhuban – The starting point of the Shri Sammed Shikharji Yatra:-
Madhuban is located at the base of Parasnath hills. There are many temples here including Bhomiyaji Mandir. The trek to Shikharji starts from here. Palanquin services are available. The trek is of a distance of 27 km if all the tonks are covered. The distance to Shikharji directly is 9 km. Along the route are twenty-four temples, dedicated to each of the Tirthankaras. On the trek route, the part from Gandharva Stream to the top is considered to be the most sacred by devotees. Another option is an entire Parikrama of the hills which is 54 km long. The route of this parikrama is through forest trails.
How to reach Shri Sammed Shikarji (Madhuban):-
Parasnath Railway Station is the nearest railhead, 24 km from Madhuban. It is on the mainline and most trains have a halt here.
Durgapur Airport is 140 km from Madhuban.
Ranchi Airport is 163 km from Madhuban.
Where to stay in Shri Sammed Shikharji (Madhuban):-
There are many Jain Dharamshalas in Madhuban to stay in. Some of the better places are –
Uttar Pradesh Prakash Bhavan, Shri Digambar Lavenchu Maitri Bhavan, and Digambar Jain Shaswat Bhawan. To know more details and book rooms click on the Booking link :-
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Distances from Shri Sammed Shikharji (Madhuban):-
Giridih – 29 km
Dhanbad – 73 km
Deoghar – 96 km
Jamshedpur – 231 km
Kolkata – 337 km
