Giridih Parasnath Hill Jain Pilgrimage Heritage

Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) in Giridih district at 1,350 metres is Jainism's most sacred pilgrimage site in eastern India, with 20 Jain temples (teerths) dotting the summit trail that pilgrims climb barefoot over a 27-kilometre circumambulation route to honour the 20 Jain tirthankaras who attained moksha here. The hill is administered jointly by the Jharkhand government and Jain religious trusts; Shvetambara and Digambara Jain communities maintain separate temples. The Parasnath pilgrimage circuit draws 300,000 to 500,000 Jain pilgrims annually from across India, supporting a significant local economy of dharmashala lodges, food service, and palanquin porter livelihoods for tribal communities of Giridih.