By Jain tradition, 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras reached liberation on a single hill in Jharkhand. That hill has two names today, and two communities who call it their own. This article covers both.
Timeline
- By Jain tradition: 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attain moksha on Parasnath Hill, across different eras.
- By tradition, c. 8th century BCE: Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, attains moksha here, giving the hill his name.
- 1911: A colonial court upholds the Santal community’s customary hunting rights on the hill.
- 18th century: The Nichli Temple, funded by a Calcutta merchant, is built at the base of the hill.
- August 2019: The government approves an eco-tourism zone around the hill. Jain groups protest, and the plan is stayed.
- 2023–2025: The government bans alcohol and meat within 25 km of the hill. The Jharkhand High Court upholds this ban in May 2025.
Where Liberation Was Attained Need to Know
- Parasnath Hill, also called Shikharji or Sammed Shikhar, sits in the Giridih district of Jharkhand.
- By Jain tradition, 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attained moksha, or liberation, here.
- The hill’s more common name comes from Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, said to have attained moksha here.
- Both the Digambara and Shwetambara sects of Jainism regard the site as sacred.
- The hill is dotted with 31 marble shrines, called Tonks, each marking a Tirthankara’s traditional footprints.
- This makes it one of Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, for both major sects.
The Climb to Madhuban Need to Know
- Pilgrims begin their journey at Madhuban, a base town at the foot of the hill.
- The hill itself rises to around 4,480 feet, covered in dense forest.
- A full pilgrimage circuit, or parikrama, covers roughly 54 kilometres on foot, visiting the Tonks along the way.
- Many pilgrims complete this trek in a single day and night, without stopping to sleep.
- The Nichli Temple, built in the 18th century, is one of the site’s best-known structures.
- A Calcutta merchant funded its construction. Its carvings depict scenes from Jain tradition.
A Hill Sacred to Two Communities Good to Know
- Jains are not the only community that considers this hill sacred.
- Santal Adivasis, an indigenous community, call it Marang Buru, meaning “Great Mountain.”
- For Santals, the hill holds a sacred grove and a traditional seat of tribal leadership.
- This overlap in sacred claims has led to real, long-running tension between the two communities.
- In 1911, a colonial court upheld the Santal community’s customary hunting rights on the hill.
- In August 2019, the government approved an eco-tourism zone around the hill.
- Jain groups protested, worried this would bring liquor and meat consumption to a sacred site. The plan was stayed.
- In 2023, the government banned alcohol and meat within 25 kilometres of the hill. This affected around 99 villages, mostly Adivasi.
- The Jharkhand High Court upheld that ban in May 2025.
The Wider Story Great to Know
- For Jainism’s broader history and spread across India, see AncHist0063 — History and Spread of Jainism.
- Parasnath Hill’s story shows how a single sacred site can carry deep meaning for more than one community at once.
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