Overview
The single most important siddhakshetra in Jainism. On Parasnath Hill, twenty of the twenty-four tirthankaras of this age are held to have attained final liberation, along with many other ascetics. Thirty-one shrines, called tonks, mark the summit, each associated with a particular liberation. Sect: Shared between Digambara and Shvetambara.
History
The tradition is ancient and textual. No archaeological dating of the shrines was found in the sources consulted, and the standing tonks are far later than the events they commemorate.
Spiritual Significance
No other place in Jain sacred geography carries this weight. Where Palitana and Girnar are great temple sites, Shikharji is where liberation itself happened, and repeatedly. For many Jains a pilgrimage here is the aspiration of a lifetime. The earliest textual reference to it as a place of tirthankara nirvana is in the Jnatrdharmakatha, one of the twelve core Shvetambara Angas.
Pilgrimage Information
Getting there and getting in. This is the hardest pilgrimage in this whole group. The base town is Madhuban. The full parikrama visiting the tonks is around 27 km one way, or about 57 km for the complete circuit from Madhuban and back. Pilgrims commonly start in the dark and take the whole day. Palanquins are used by those who cannot walk it. Jain temples of this rank commonly prohibit leather articles, restrict photography, and expect bathing before worship. Where this page does not state a restriction, it is because no source documented one for this particular site, not because none applies. Confirm on arrival.
Preservation
Protection status. No ASI or UNESCO designation was found. The hill and its forest carry separate environmental protections.
Sources
About this page
Researched and written by YatraBeyond from published sources, and not yet confirmed by the temple. Facts here are cross-checked against at least two independent sources, never written from memory, and every source is listed above.
Last reviewed by us: 2026-09-17. Timings, entry rules and access can change without notice; treat anything time-sensitive as a starting point and confirm before you travel.
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