‘Sammed Shikharji’: The Jain pilgrimage site in Jharkhand that is caught in the eye of the storm

Jains have been urging the Jharkhand CM to reconsider the decision.

Today Jains are observing a one day bandh against Jharkhand govt’s decision to convert Jain’s biggest Teerth Sammed Shikharji into a tourist place. This Teerth saw 20 of our 24 Teerthankar attain Nirvaan. Please express solidarity with our peaceful community. pic.twitter.com/wBC8hboL0P

— Ankit Jain (@indiantweeter) December 21, 2022

About Sammed Shikharji

The reason that Sammed Shikharji is so important to the community, and why it does not want the place to turn into an eco-tourism spot, is because — located on the Parasnath hill in the Giridih district of Jharkhand — it is considered to be the biggest pilgrimage site by both the Digambaras and the Svetambaras. It is believed that it is the place where 20 of the 24 Jain tirthankaras, who are Jain spiritual leaders, along with many other monks attained ‘moksha‘ or salvation after meditating.

The great musician Ravindra Jain ji has sung this masterpiece years ago for Shri Sammed Shikharji.

Shikhar Ji is the Soul of Jain Community !! #SaveShikharji pic.twitter.com/9wbw2cwpIv

— Maggi (@JainMaggii) December 24, 2022

Parasnath hill is known across the country to be the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand.

The word ‘Shikharji’ in itself means a ‘venerable peak’. Interestingly, the word ‘Parasnath’ comes from ‘Parshvanatha’, the 23rd Jain tirthankara who attained moksha here. According to beliefs of the Jain community, Shikharji is ranked with Ashtapad, Girnar, Dilwara Temples of Mount Abu and Shatrunjaya as the ‘Svetambara Pancha Tirth’ or the five principal pilgrimage shrines.

If someone wants to do a pilgrimage of Shikharji, they must start with Palganj on Giridih road, where there is a small shrine dedicated to Parshvanatha. Then, they can make some offerings to the temples of Madhuban located at the base of Parasnath hill. Pilgrims have to cover a long trek of about 27km while doing a circumambulation of Shikharji.

The Jain protest also got support from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), whose national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “No pilgrim site, as well as beliefs and faith of a community can be hurt in the name of development of the site as a tourist spot. Any development should be done by keeping the identity of the site… A separate ministry should be made to deal with the development of holy sites…”

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