dhams and sacred places
What is the Parasnath hill in Jharkhand and why is it sacred to both Jains and Hindus?
Why it matters to Jains
For Jains, this hill is known as Shikharji, and it is the single most sacred place in their tradition. The belief is that a very large number of Jain Tirthankaras, the enlightened teachers who show the path to liberation, attained moksha here. The hill takes its common name from Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara. Jain pilgrims travel from across India and from abroad to walk the long circuit around the hilltop shrines. The journey is taken seriously as an act of devotion and renunciation.
Why it matters to Hindus
For Hindus, the hill is connected to Vishnu. The peak is seen as a place of divine presence, and there are Hindu shrines on and around the hill. Local and tribal communities of the region also hold the hill sacred in their own ways, with traditions that go back a long time and sit alongside both Jain and Hindu practice. This layering of different communities sharing one sacred landscape is something found in many parts of India, and Parasnath is one of the clearer examples of it.
Where the name comes from
The name Parasnath comes from Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara in Jain tradition. Over time this name spread to the hill itself in everyday use, even among people who are not Jain. The Jain name for the hill, Shikharji, meaning something close to the sacred peak, is the name used in religious contexts. Both names are in common use today depending on who is speaking and why.
Today
The hill draws large numbers of pilgrims every year, mostly Jain but also Hindu. The shared use of the site has at times been a source of tension as well as harmony, with different communities holding different views about how the space should be managed and used. The hill sits in a forested landscape and is also recognized for its natural setting. For many people who visit, the journey itself, on foot through the hills, is as meaningful as the destination.