Shri Sammet Shikharji (???? ?????? ??????), or Parasnath Hills, located near Giridih, in Jharkhand State, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and one of the most sacred places for Jains in the world. According to Jain beliefs, 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained Nirvana from this place
Geography
(Jharkhand was carved out of the southern part of Bihar state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east.)
Shri Sammed Shikharji AKA Shikharji is surrounded by a deep forest called Madhuvan, and it was hundreds of miles from populated areas until a few centuries ago. Now it is accessible from nearby towns and cities through arterial roads. Motor cars or passenger buses travel along the route from Dumri block to Giridih and stop at Madhuban village. The Jains have provided rest houses and temples at the foot of the hill at Madhuban.
Shri Sammet Shikharji is under administration of Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi (Trust).
The village Post Office is called Parasnath. On the walls of the mandir at the village of Madhuban, there is a mural painting depicting all the temples on Parasnath Hill. The actual ascent starts from Madhuban. 2 ½ miles from Madhuban, there are two streams, Gandharva Nala and Sita Nala. The Jains hold the portion from Gandharva Nala up to the summit as very sacred. It is easier to reach the hill from its northern side.
Significance to Jainism
Shri Sammet Shikharji attracts pilgrims from across India.
Sammed and Sammet is used interchangeably by various Jain communities.
The number of Tirthankars who attained nirvana at Shri Sammed Shikharji is 20, depending on sources. For each of them there is a shrine on the hill.
The hill is also known as Parasnath, a name derived from Parshva, an early Jain leader, held to be the 23rd Tirthankara who attained Nirvana there. His present temple is not very old, although the idol in the main temple is ancient. The Sanskrit inscriptions at the foot of the images indicate that they were put in the temple in 1678 A.D.
Archaeologists believe some of the existing temple edifices on Parasnath Hill date from 1765 A.D. although the place is of greater antiquity. It is certain that the present edifices replace older edifices, which were demolished. Jain temples are often pulled down and re-built.
Each tirtha (pilgrimage site) represents centuries of devotion, which found expression in temple-building, and to this day are at the centre of pilgrimages and festivals at frequent intervals. Although many of the temples may seem complicated in appearance, each is designed on the principles common to the religious architecture of the late medieval period, the elaborations being due to such factors as the addition of supplementary shrines, second stories, and adding pillared cloisters around all the larger examples. One variation unique to Jain temples is the frequent production of a class of temple known as chaumukh, or four-faced.
The 20 of 24 Tirthankars namely, Ajitnath, Sambhavnath, Abhinandan prabhu, Sumatinath, Padmprabhu, Suparshwanath, Chandraprabhu, Suvidhinath, Sheetalnath, Shreyansnath, Vimalnath, Anantnath, Dharmnath, Shantinath, Kunthunath, Arnath, Mallinath, Munisuvrat Swami, Neminath and Parshwanath spent the evening of their lives on this great mountain and attained the supreme status of moksha.
Every Tirthankar made efforts to enliven the density of power of this place, and consequently for millenniums, this place has been vibrant, awakened and anointed with their halo. Really, Sammet Shikhar is an astonishing, unique and awakened holy pilgrimage. Even today, the atmosphere of Sammet Shikhar contains a sort of holiness."
