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AN EPITOME OF JAINISM.
THE PARESNATH HILLS.
The Sammet Sikhar or better known as the Paresnath Hills is another important place of pilgrimage of the Jains in India. The mountain is situated in the District of Hazaribagh in Bengal or more properly now in Bihar and Orissa Presidency and is the highest one in this part of the country. Twenty Tirthankars out of twenty-four attained nirvan on the different summits of this mountain and there are as many
temples built on these holy places to
commemorate their memories.
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The scenery of this range of hills, is very beautiful and the distance is about 12 miles from the Railway Station to the foot of the Hills known as Madhuban. There are also temples here built by both the Swetambaris and Digambaris. The whole region is shrouded with thick forest and the ascent to some of the summits is very steep. One has to travel 20 miles or thereabout to take a round to these summits from Madhuban. Streams and rivulets lie across the way through the valleys between these summits. There are only foot-prints
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