Shri Sammed Shikharji Jain Temple- Jharkhand

Address

Shri Sammed Shikharji Jain Temple- Shikhir ji, Giridih district, Jharkhand 825329

Diety

Tirthankaras

Introduction

Sammed Shikharji Temple is located in Giridih district in Jharkhand, India and also Known as Parasnath Hill. The temple at Shikharji is a new construction with some parts dating to the eighteenth century. However, the idol itself is very old. Sanskrit inscriptions at the foot of the image date to 1678 AD.

Puranic Significance

According to Jainism, following 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained Nirvana here so this place is known as Sammed Śikhar or Sammet Shikhar, the ‘peak of concentration’. Parasnath Hills stand as the highest mountain peak (1366 m) in the state of Jharkhand and highest mountain range after the Himalaya Mountains. It is one of the most popular sights of Jharkhand, which include a number of temples. On the mountain top there is the Shikharji Jain Temple, an important Tirtha or Jain pilgrimage site. Parasnath Hill is surrounded by a deep forest called Madhuvan. The Jain literature is the text where one could find some references about this hill. In the text they have mentioned the hill as a holy place for meditation. In the 12th century, Parsva had mentioned many things in the book. People renovated the pilgrimage between 1925 and 1933. They also made some small temples there and put the Lord Aadinath, Lord Vasupoojya, Neminath, Mahavir and Chandranan etc. in the temples. The statues of Lords are very old and they are at that place from 1678.

Special Features

Tirthankaras attaining Nirvana at Shri Sammed Shikharji; (I) Shri Ajitnath Ji (II) Shri Sambhavanath Ji (III) Shri Abhinandannath Ji (IV) Shri Sumatinath Ji (V) Shri Padmaprabha Ji (VI) Shri Suparshvanath Ji (VII) Shri Chandragupta Ji (VIII) Shri Suvidhinath Ji (IX) Shri Sheetalnath Ji (X) Shri Shreyansanath Ji (XI) Shri Vimalnath Ji (XII) Shri Anantnath Ji (XIII) Shri Dharmanath Ji (XIV)Shri Shantinath Ji (XV) Shri Kunthunath Ji (XVI)Shri Aranath Ji (XVII)Shri Mallinath Ji (XVIII)Shri Munisuvrata Ji (XIX) Shri Naminatha ji (XX) Shri Parshva Ji

Festivals

Parasnath is the “Marang Buru “or hill deity of the Santhal of Hazaribagh, Manbhum, Bankura and Santhal Parganas and each year they assemble at the period of the full noon in Baisakh (mid April) from these district and celebrate a religious hunt for three days.