Shree Sammed Shikhar or Shikarji is located in Giridih district in Jharkhand. It is 15 Kms away from Parasnath Railway. Shree Sammed Shikhar is one of the most popular Jain pilgrimages centres in eastern India. It is believed to be the topmost spot of `nirvana`. It is said that among twenty Jain Tirthankaras twenty three Tirthankaras attained Moksha here. Shree Sammed Shikhar is also known as Parasnath Hill. This hill is at a height of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) which makes it the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. The principal deity of the temple is Lord Parshvanatha.
History of Shree Sammed Shikharji
Shree Sammed Shikharji finds its mention in the scripture Jnatadharm Katha, the `Parshwanath Charitra` (biography of Parshwanath) of Kalpasutra. According to Swetambara tradition it was known as `Sammet Shikhar` and according to Digambara tradition it is known as `Sammed Shikhar.` The foot of the Sammed Shikhar Mountain is called Madhuvan.
The Shree Sammed Shikharji has many attractive Tonks. However they were in ruined state. Later King Shrenik reconstructed the Tonks. Bhattaraka Gyankeerti in his work Yashodhara Charit` describes about Naanu. He was the secretary of King Mansigh of Akbarpur near Champanagari. Naanu is credited with constructing twenty temples of 20 Teerthankaras attaining who attained nirvana in Sammed Shikharji. Earlier there was a pond named Amritvapika during the time of Yati Madankeerti. In this pond devotees offered Ashta Dravya for 20 the Tirthankaras. Amritvapika, at present time is called Jal - Mandir.
Geography of Shikharji
Sikharji is enclosed by a deep forest called Madhuvan. The place also serves as a good trekking point. However there are proper provisions for the people who cannot walk up to the temple. These people avail the services of "doli wallah", a term used for villagers who use a one-seater `doli` or palanquin. These are carried by four people who take these people up and down the hill.
Tonks at Shikharji
Shikharji have been visited by twenty three Jain Tirthnakaras. Tonks of these Tirthankaras have been built here. Even the foot prints of twenty-four Tirthankaras and ten Ganadhars can be seen here. The tonk of Shree Kunthunath have been built here in 1825. The Tonks of the eternal Jinas like Shree Rishabhanan, Chandranan, of Tirthankara Lord Neminath, Lord Aranath have been built here. The Lord had attained `Nirvana` here on Margsheersh Shukla Dashami. Next the Tonk of Tirthankara Lord Mallinath is located here. The holy feet-marks were installed in Samvat 1825. The eighth Tonk of Lord Shreyansanath is also built here. The holy feet-marks were installed in Samvat 1825.The ninth Tonk in Shikharji belongs to Lord Suvidhinath, the tenth Tonk is that of Tirthankara Padmaprabha, the eleventh Tonk is of Tirthankara Lord Munisuvrat Swami. The Tonk of Lord Chandraprabha is situated at a high summit. While going to the Jal-Mandir the tonk of Lord Adinath can be seen. The fourteenth Tonk dedicated to Lord Anantnath is installed here. The sixteenth Tonk belongs to Lord Sambhavnath, the seventeenth Toonk belongs to Lord Vasupujya Swami and the eighteenth Tonk is that of Lord Abhinandannatha. The three sides of the temple are surrounded by `Jalkunds` or ponds.
The twenty-first Toonk is of Shree Dharmanath. The twenty fourth Tonk is of Lord Sumatinatha who had attained `nirvana` on Chaitra Shukla Navami. The twenty-fifth Tonk is that of Tirthankara Lord Shantinath, the twenty-sixth Tonk is that of Lord Mahavira, the twenty-seventh Tonk belongs to Suparshavnatha, the twenty-eighth Tonk is of Lord Vimalnath, the twenty-ninth Tonk is of Lord Ajitnath and the thirtieth Tonk is of Lord Neminath. The final highest Tonk of Shikhar pilgrimage has been dedicated to Lord Parshvanatha.
According to history the Jain Tirthankaras who attained nirvana in Shikharji have been listed below:
* Lord Ajitnath
* Lord Sambhavanath
* Lord Abhinandannath
* Lord Sumatinath
* Lord Padmaprabha
* Lord Suparshvanath
* Lord Chandraprabha
* Lord Suvidhinath
* Lord Sheetalnath
* Lord Shreyansanath
* Lord Vimalnath
* Lord Anantnath
* Lord Dharmanath
* Lord Shantinath
* Lord Kunthunath
* Lord Aranath
* Lord Mallinath
* Lord Munisuvrata
* Lord Naminatha
* Lord Parshva
Apart from the toonks there are many temples located at Shikharji:
* Shri Gautam Swami (Ghandhar)
* Shri Kunthunath Prabhu (17th Tirthankar)
* Shashvat Jin Shri Rishbhanan Prabhu
* Shashvat Jin Chandranan Prahbu
* Shri Naminath Prabhu (21st Tirthankar)
* Shri Arnath Prahbu (18th Tirthankar)
* Shri Mallinath Prabhu (19th Tirthankar)
* Shri Shreyansnath Prabhu (11th Tirthankar)
* Shri Suvidhinath Prabhu (9th Tirthankar)
* Shri Padam Prabhu (6th Tirthankar)
* Shri Munisuvrat Prabhu (20th Tirthankar)
* Shri Chandrah Prabhu (8th Tirthankar)
* Shri Adinath Prabhu (1st Tirthankar)
* Shri Anantnath Prabhu (14th Tirthankar)
* Shri Sheetalnath Prabhu (10th Tirthankar)
* Shri Sambhavnath Prabhu ( 3rd Tirthankar)
* Shri Vasupujya Prabhu (12th Tirthankar)
* Shri Abhinandan Prabhu ( 4th Tirthankar)
* Shri Shubh Swami Ghandhar
* Jal Mandir
* Shri Dharamnath Prabhu (15th Tirthankar)
* ShashvatJin Shri Vardhman Prabhu
* ShashvatJin Shri Varishen Prabhu
* Shri Sumatinath Prabhu (5th Tirthankar)
* Shri Shantinath Prabhu (16th Tirthankar)
* Shri Mahavir Prabhu (24th Tirthankar)
* Shri SuParshavnath Prabhu (7th Tirthankar)
* Shri Vimalnath Prabhu (13th Tirthankar)
* Shri Ajitnath Prabhu (2nd Tirthankar)
* Shri Neminath Prabhu (22nd Tirthankar)
* Shri Parshavnath Prabhu (23rd Tirthankar)