Parasnath Hills
Encyclopedia
Parasnath Station is on the Asansol-Gaya section
of the Grand Chord
and serves the town of Isri
in Giridih district
in the India
n state
of Jharkhand
. The Pareshnath Hill, located nearby, with a height of 1350 metres (4,429.1 ft) is the highest mountain
in the state of Jharkhand. The word Parasnath comes from the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism
, Parshva
. Jains refer to the Parasnath Hill as Sammet Shikhar
Tirtha
. They are one of the two most prominent Jain pilgrimage
centers, the other being Shetrunjaya
, located in Gujarat State of Western India.
The summit of Parasnath Hill can be reached either from the southern or the northern side. There are two recognized routes to Parasnath Hill.
The southern approach is from Isri Bazaar or Nimiaghat, to the top, is motorable for about 2 km, the rest being a climb of 8 km.
The northern approach is a 13 km route from Madhuban village on the Dumri-Giridih road. Madhuban is about 40 km from Giridih
and about 10 km from Parasnath rail station/ Isri Bazaar
/ Dumri, all on Grand Trunk Road
(NH 2
). Buses ply along this route from Dumri to Giridih and stop at Madhuban village. Hired cars or taxis are available at Isri Bazar, just outside the rail station. There are a number of Jain temples at Madhuban. There is a metalled trek route of 9 km to the summit, a major part of which is jeepable.
Both the Svetambara
s and Digambaras have established Dharamshalas or Ashram
s here to accommodate the pilgrims to this the first most holy place for travelers from all over the world.
Asansol-Gaya section
The Asansol-Gaya section is a railway line connecting Asansol Junction and Gaya. This track is part of the Grand Chord and in under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway and East Central Railway...
of the Grand Chord
Grand Chord
Grand Chord- also known as The Life line of India is a section of the Indian Railways and is one of the two parts of the main Delhi-Howrah route. It acts as a link between Sitarampur, and Mughal Sarai, Uttar Pradesh, and covers a stretch of 450 km...
and serves the town of Isri
Isri
Isri is a census town in Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Demographics: India census, Isri had a population of 8,796. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Isri has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
in Giridih district
Giridih District
Giridih district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Giridih is the administrative headquarters of this district. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Jharkhand , after Ranchi and Dhanbad.-History:...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar 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...
. The Pareshnath Hill, located nearby, with a height of 1350 metres (4,429.1 ft) is the highest mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the state of Jharkhand. The word Parasnath comes from the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, Parshva
Parshva
Pārśva or Paras was the twenty-third Tirthankara "Ford-Maker" in Jainism . He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. Pārśva was a nobleman belonging to the Kshatriya varna....
. Jains refer to the Parasnath Hill as Sammet Shikhar
Shikharji
Shikharji or Śrī Sammed Śikharjī , also known as the Parasnath Hill, located in Giridih district in Jharkhand state, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and is the most sacred place for Jains in the world. According to Jain belief, twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras attained Moksha ...
Tirtha
Tirtha
In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...
. They are one of the two most prominent Jain pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
centers, the other being Shetrunjaya
Shetrunjaya
High upon Shetrunjaya Hill in Gujarat, western India, is the abode of the Jain Tirthankaras - a set of 24 gods, including Adinath. A cluster of 863 shrines, 600 meters above the town of Palitana, the architecture of the temples reflects centuries and generations of grandeur, wealth, religious...
, located in Gujarat State of Western India.
Shikharji
It is a holy place to visit with innumerable temples, shrines and meditation halls in the midst of natural scenery and wildlife.The summit of Parasnath Hill can be reached either from the southern or the northern side. There are two recognized routes to Parasnath Hill.
The southern approach is from Isri Bazaar or Nimiaghat, to the top, is motorable for about 2 km, the rest being a climb of 8 km.
The northern approach is a 13 km route from Madhuban village on the Dumri-Giridih road. Madhuban is about 40 km from Giridih
Giridih
Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The literal meaning of Giridih is the land of hills & hillocks - giri, a Hindi word, means hills and dih, another word of the local dialect, indicates upland...
and about 10 km from Parasnath rail station/ Isri Bazaar
Isri
Isri is a census town in Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Demographics: India census, Isri had a population of 8,796. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Isri has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
/ Dumri, all on Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
(NH 2
National Highway 2 (India)
National Highway 2 , commonly referred as Delhi-Kolkata Road is a busy Indian National Highway that runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It constitute a major portion of historical Grand Trunk Road along with NH 91 and NH 1 in India...
). Buses ply along this route from Dumri to Giridih and stop at Madhuban village. Hired cars or taxis are available at Isri Bazar, just outside the rail station. There are a number of Jain temples at Madhuban. There is a metalled trek route of 9 km to the summit, a major part of which is jeepable.
Both the Svetambara
Svetambara
The Śvētāmbara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambar. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked...
s and Digambaras have established Dharamshalas or Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s here to accommodate the pilgrims to this the first most holy place for travelers from all over the world.