Pilgrimage to Sammed Shikharji Jain India

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Sammed Shikharji Tirth

Shree Sammed Shikhar or Shikarji (or Sammet Shikarji) is located 15 Kms away from Parasnath Railway Station on Delhi - HowrahLine. Regular local transport is available from station to Madhuban hills. Official transport services are also available from Digambar Jain Mandir.  Shree Sammed Shikhar is one of the most prominent pilgrimage among all the Jain pilgrimages located in eastern India. Pandit Dhyanatraiji has written in his ‘Pooja’ (Poem of worship) if one goes for adoration of Sammed Shikharji once in his life, he does not goin lives of animal and in the hell. Shree Sammed Shikhar is the topmost light of 'nirvana'.

From twenty-four Tirthankaras of Jainism , twenty Tirthankaras namely, Ajitnath, Sambhavnath, Abhinandan - prabhu, Sumatinath, Padmprabhu, Suparshwanath, Chandraprabha , Suvidhinath, Sheetalnath, Shreyansnath, Vimalanath , Anantanath, Dharmanath , Shantinath, Kunthunath, Aranath, Mallinath, Munisuvrat Swami , Neminath and Parshwanath spent the evening of their lives on this great mountain and attained the supreme status of 'moksha'. Sammed Shikhar is an astonishing, unique and awakened holy pilgrimage. This is the only the efficacy of Sammed Shikharji that from the ancient times so many Kings, Acharyas, Bhuttarakas and Shravakas came here with vast groups of devotees for pilgrimage with the purpose of self welfare and due to the devotion towards Teerthankaras and ascetic saints who attained salvation from here. The ancient reference of Sammed Shikhar has been made in the scripture Jnatadharm Katha, the 'Parshwanath Charitra' (biography of Parshwanath) of Kalpsutra, and in the medieval literature 'Samidigiri' or 'Samadhigiri'. The local People address it as Parasnath Hill. It is also mentionable that this pilgrimage is called 'Sammet Shikhar' in the Swetambar tradition and 'Sammed Shikhar' in the Digambar tradition.

In Sequence Located at Shikharji Kunthu Nath Bhagwan Nami Nath Bhagwan Arah Nath Bhagwan Malli Nath Swami Shreyans Nath Sumiti Nath Bhagwan PadamPrabhu Bhagwan Muni Suvrat Nath Chanda Prabhu Adinath Bhagwan Sheetal Nath Bhagwan Anant Nath Bhagwan Sambhav Nath Bhagwan SuparshvaNath Bhagwan Vimal Nath Bhagwan Ajit Nath Bhagwan Nemi Nath Bhagwan Parshva Nath Bhagwan Mahavir Swami SuparshvaNath Bhagwan Vimal Nath Bhagwan Ajit Nath Bhagwan Nemi Nath Bhagwan Parshva Nath Bhagwan

The foot of the Sammed Shikhar mountain is called Madhuvan. All around it there are large clusters of trees sprinkling 'madhu' (honey). The renovation work of this pilgrimage was done from Samvat 1925 to 1933. In renovation new 'dehris' (small temples with prominent thresholds) of Lord Aadinath, Lord Vasupujya, Neminath, Mahavira and the eternal Jineshwar Shree Rishabhanan, Chandranan, Varishen, Vardhmaan etc. The renovation of this pilgrimage was undertaken again in Samvat 2012 which was completed in Samvat 2017. The journey to this holy pilgrimage rids misery, confers piety and destroys sin. All around here 'Toonks' of Tirthankaras have been built. The First 'Toonk' is that of Ganadhar Gautam Swami. Images of foot prints of twenty-four Tirthankaras and ten Ganadhars have been installed here. A few steps away from here stands the Toonk of Shree Kunthunath, which was consecrated in Samvat 1825. Near Lord Shree Kunthunath's Toonk is the Toonk of the eternal Jina Shree Rishabhanan. Close by is the Toonk of another eternal Jina Chandranan. Near it is the fifth Toonk, of Tirthankara Shree Neminath. The sixth Toonk belongs to Tirthankara Aranath. The Lord had attained 'Nirvana' here on Margsheersh Shukla Dashami. After comes the Toonk of Tirthankara Shree Mallinath. Here the holy feet-marks were installed in Samvat 1825. Ahead of this is the eighth Toonk, that of Tirthankara Shree Shreyansnath. Here too the holy feet-marks were installed in Samvat 1825. A little ahead there is the ninth Toonk. Here Tirthankara Shree Suvidhinath had attained 'nirvan'. The tenth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Padmaprabha. The eleventh Toonk of Tirthankara Shree Munisuvrat Swami. At a high summit a beautiful Toonk is seen from here. This Toonk is dedicated to Tirthankara Shree Chandraprabha. The Jal-Mandir is 2 kms. away from here. On the way we get a glimpse of Lord Shree Aadinath's Toonk. At a little distance away from here is the fourteenth Toonk. The feet-marks of the fourteenth Tirthankara Shree Anantanath are installed here. The fifteenth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Shree Sheetalnath. The sixteenth Toonk belongs to Shree Sambhavnath. The seventeenth Toonk is that of Lord Shree vasupujya were installed in Samvat 1825. The eighteenth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Shree Abhinandan Swami installed in Samvat 1825. The Jal Mandir stands at a little distance away from here is the only temple on the entire Samed Shikhar where the idols of the Tirthankars are auspiciously present. On the three sides of the temple there are natural 'Jalkunds' (ponds) . Therefore, it is called 'Jal Mandir'. The dignified solemn idol of Lord Shamaliya Parshwanath majestically installed in the temple as the principal deity spontaneously soaks the heart with a sense of devotion. On the way from Jal Mandir to Parasnath Toonk,is the twenty-first Toonk of Tirthankara Shree Dharmanath. At some distance is the twenty fourth Toonk of Tirthankara Shree Sumatinath. Here the Lord had attained 'nirvana' on Chaitra Shukla Navami. The twenty-fifth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Shree Shantinath. The twenty-sixth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Mahavira Swami. The twenty-seventh Toonk belongs to Lord Shree Suparshwanath. Ahead of this is the twenty-eighth Toonk, of Tirthankara Shree Vimalanath. The twenty-ninth Toonk is that of Tirthankara Ajitanath. The thirtieth Toonk has been dedicated to Tirthankara Neminath. The last and the highest Toonk of the great Sammet Shikhar pilgrimage is that of Lord Parshwanath. There are several places of attraction as: SHWETAMBAR KOTHI and TEMPL E: There is an attractive temple of Shree Bhomiaji Maharaj, inside the Kothi. There is also a huge Jina temple in the form of a cluster of eleven temples. A 90 cm. idol of Baghwan Parshwanath is installed here as the principal deity. DIGAMBAR JAIN TERAH PANTH KOTHI : There is a majestic temple of Lord Shree Chandraprabha in the middle of the Kothi. Samvasaran temple has been built on the left side of the third door of this temple. KACHCHHI BHAWAN : Fifty-two Jinalayas have been built here. This temple houses the idols of many Jain Tirthankaras. JAIN MUSEUM : This Museum has been built by Shree Jityasha Foundation, Kolkata. On the first floor of the museum many articles related janism have been collected. In front of the sprawling hall the most majestic 6 feet high idol of Lord Parsvwanath in the meditation posture is seated. All around on the walls there is an exhibition of pictures depicting Jain architecture. The museum also contains a collection of all the postage stamps issued on Jainism. On the first floor there is a collection of ancient art-pieces made of ivory and sandal-wood. On the second floor of the museum, 50 scenes depicting special sequence of events of Jainism have been shown. Shri Digambar Jain Madhyalok Research Centre : This Research Centre, which has been recently built depicts the 'Madhyalok' as described in the Jain scriptures. The main building houses a massive statue of Bhagwan Shri Parshwa Nath in a huge hall. A library is being developed along-with research facilities for Jain scholars. The president of this Centre is Shri Chand Mal Ji Saraogi from Kishanganj, Bihar.