Sammed Shikharji
सम्मेद शिखरजी
Also known as: Shikharji, Parasnath Hills, Sammet Shikhar
The most important Jain pilgrimage. Twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras attained moksha here on the Parasnath hills.
Sammed Shikharji is the holiest pilgrimage site in Jainism. Twenty Tirthankaras — from Ajitanatha (2nd) onward, with the exception of those who attained moksha elsewhere — are said to have attained liberation on the Parasnath hills. The traditional circumambulation visits twenty separate shrines (tonks), one for each, in a 27 km hill route. Madhuban at the base is the pilgrim town.
Associated Tirthankaras
Nearest railway: Parasnath (on the Howrah–Delhi mainline). Madhuban is 20 km from the station by road. From Kolkata: ~400 km; from Patna: ~280 km.
October to March (cool season). Avoid monsoon — the hill path can be slippery.