Parasnath, a sacred town rich in Jain heritage, is located in Giridih District of Jharkhand. It is the most revered Jain pilgrim center where Lord Mahavir is said to have achieved nirvana. Here one can see twenty Jain shrines dedicated to different tirthankaras who achieved nirvana here, including the main Parasnath Temple. This is a major Jain pilgrimage center with 24 temples representing the Tirthankaras - atop a 4000 feet high hill, accessed by a climb.Parasnath Hill and a major shrine sacred to Santhal tribals are situated nearby.
Every year thousands of Jain pilgrims visit this place and on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, the Parasnath temple seems to be a crowded fair. Apart from Parasnath temple, there are many more Jain temples belonging to Digambers and Svetambers, which too attract lots of tourists every year.
The 24 temples, each dedicated to each one of the Jain Tirthankaras, stand at an altitude of 1,366 m. Parasnath, the 23rd Tirthankar, achieved nirvana at this spot. It is 300 km by road from Calcutta, and Dhanbad is the nearest large town with hotels.
Towering 1000m above the plains, beside the Calcutta-Gaya railway line 30km west of Dhanbad, the cliff of Parasnath is rendered holy to Jains by its association with the life of Mahavira. It is covered with dense forests, where Jain belief has it that even the tigers are vegetarians in the forest.
Parasnath temple is located on the westernmost, highest summit. Pilgrims, on foot or carried on palanquins, follow a trail that winds its way up from the village of Madhuban.
The final rise to the main temple is along a marble staircase, which echoes with the sound of even bare feet. Situated on a rocky pinnacle, the pristine white temple, where tiny marble feet represent the footprints of the saint, repays the effort with superb views.
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