Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) from Ranchi - 160 km, 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min by cab
The holiest Jain pilgrimage in the world
Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) is 160 km from Ranchi, about 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min by cab. The holiest Jain pilgrimage in the world. Raahi Saarthi cab fares start at ₹3,799 one way · ₹6,999 round trip. The best time to visit is Oct - Mar.
Parasnath Hill - to Jains, Sammed Shikharji - is the highest point in Jharkhand (1,365 m; the Giridih district administration gives 1,350 m) and the holiest tirtha in the Jain faith: twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras, Parshvanath among them, are believed to have attained moksha here. The cab goes to Madhuban, the pilgrim village at the foot of the hill, about 160 km from Ranchi. From there the full vandana is about 27 km on foot - 9 km up, 9 km along the tonks on the summit ridge and 9 km down - and takes most walkers 8 to 12 hours, usually started between 2 and 4 AM.
How to reach Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) from Ranchi
The cab goes to Madhuban, the base village. The short road from Ranchi is about 160 km: NH-20 to Ormanjhi, then Gola, Peterwar, Nawadih and Dumri, and 17 km up the Dumri-Giridih road (NH-114A) to Madhuban More, 3.7 km short of the village. The other road runs via Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Bagodar, then the GT Road to Dumri, about 183 km. Both take 4 to 4.5 hours, and neither goes through Giridih town or Isri Bazaar. The nearest railway station, Parasnath (PNME) at Isri, is about 23 km from Madhuban by road, 30-40 minutes; the 11 km often quoted is the straight line. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Deoghar (about 99 km); Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport is about 165 km.
Highlights
- Highest point in Jharkhand - 1,365 m (Giridih district: 1,350 m)
- About 25 to 31 tonks on the summit ridge, depending on how they are counted
- Parshvanath (Swarnabhadra) tonk - the highest, and the traditional last stop
- 27 km vandana from Madhuban: 9 km up, 9 km along the ridge, 9 km down
- Doli (palanquin) bearers for pilgrims who cannot walk it
Insider tips
- Start between 2 and 4 AM - most walkers need 8 to 12 hours, elderly pilgrims up to 16
- Book a doli the evening before; the June 2025 rate card is ₹2,300 (up to 49 kg) and ₹2,760 (50-69 kg) for a two-bearer doli
- There are no meals on the hill, only tea and water sellers, and Jain kitchens in Madhuban serve dinner before sunset
- Alcohol and non-vegetarian food are banned on the hill; footwear is optional, and many Jain pilgrims walk barefoot
- Carry water, snacks and a headlamp, and stay at Madhuban the night before
Suggested itinerary
- 1Day 1 · 12:00 - Pickup from Ranchi
- 2Day 1 · 16:30 - Reach Madhuban, check in to a dharamshala
- 3Day 1 · 17:00 - Early dinner (Jain kitchens serve before sunset), then Bhomiyaji temple
- 4Day 2 · 03:00 - Begin the climb from Madhuban (headlamp)
- 5Day 2 · 08:00 - Reach the first tonk; walk the ridge circuit
- 6Day 2 · 13:00 - Parshvanath tonk, then the descent
- 7Day 2 · 16:00 - Back in Madhuban; drive home, in Ranchi around 20:00-20:30
- Distance from Ranchi
- 160 km
- Drive time
- 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min
- Best time to visit
- Oct - Mar
- Type
- Pilgrimage
- State
- Jharkhand
- District
- Giridih
- Cab fare
- ₹3,799 one way · ₹6,999 round trip
Distance to Parasnath Hill from other places
| From | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Ranchi Junction railway stationvia Ormanjhi, Gola, Nawadih, Dumri, NH-114A | 160 km | 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min |
| Ranchi Junction, via Hazaribaghvia Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, Bagodar, GT Road to Dumri | 183 km | 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min |
| Birsa Munda Airportvia Ormanjhi, Gola, Nawadih, Dumri | 165 km | 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min |
| Parasnath railway station (Isri)via Dumri, NH-114A | 23 km | 30 - 40 min |
| Hazaribaghvia Bagodar, GT Road, Dumri | 94 km | 2 hr - 2 hr 30 min |
| Giridih railway stationvia NH-114A | 30 km | 45 min |
| Dhanbad Junctionvia GT Road via Topchanchi and Isri, Dumri | 75 km | 1 hr 30 min - 2 hr |
| Bokaro Steel City (City Centre)via Topchanchi, GT Road, Dumri | 80 km | 2 hr |
| Jamshedpur (Tatanagar)via Chandil, Chas, Topchanchi, GT Road, Dumri | 215 km | 5 hr - 5 hr 30 min |
| Deoghar (Baidyanath temple)via Giridih, NH-114A | 98 km | 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr |
| Deoghar Airportvia Giridih, NH-114A | 99 km | 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr |
| Gaya Airportvia GT Road via Barhi, Bagodar, Dumri | 179 km | 4 hr - 4 hr 30 min |
| Hundru Fallsvia Gola, Peterwar, Nawadih, Dumri | 121 km | 3 hr - 3 hr 30 min |
| Topchanchi Lakevia GT Road, Isri, Dumri | 43 km | 1 hr |
| Kolkata (Howrah station)via Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad, GT Road | 356 km | 6 hr 30 min - 7 hr 30 min |
Road distance, not straight line. Distances are measured over the OpenStreetMap road network unless marked otherwise; drive times are what a cab takes in ordinary traffic. The same figures are in /distances.json.
Nearby attractions
- Madhuban dharamshalas (base)
- Parasnath station, Isri (23 km)
- Giridih town (30 km)
- Topchanchi Lake (43 km)
- Baidyanath Dham, Deoghar (98 km)
FAQs about Parasnath Hill (Shikharji)
How far is Shikharji from Ranchi?
Madhuban, the base village for Shikharji, is about 160 km from Ranchi on the short road via Ormanjhi, Gola, Nawadih and Dumri, or about 183 km via Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Bagodar; either takes 4 to 4.5 hours by cab, and neither passes through Giridih town. Raahi Saarthi's one-way cab fare from Ranchi to Parasnath starts at ₹3,799.
Are Parasnath and Shikharji the same place?
Yes. Parasnath Hill is the name on the map, after Parshvanath, the 23rd Tirthankara; Jains call the same hill Sammed (or Sammet) Shikharji. Madhuban is the village at its foot where the pilgrimage starts, and Parasnath is also the name of the railway station at Isri, about 23 km from Madhuban by road.
How long is the Shikharji trek in km?
The full Shikharji vandana is about 27 km on foot: roughly 9 km up from Madhuban to the first tonk, 9 km along the tonks on the summit ridge, and 9 km back down. GPS tracks often log a little more, about 27.7 km with some 1,260 m of climbing. Most walkers take 8 to 12 hours, elderly pilgrims up to 16, starting between 2 and 4 AM. The complete parikrama around the hill is a separate walk of about 54-57 km.
What is the nearest airport to Shikharji?
Deoghar Airport (DGH), about 99 km from Madhuban by road, is the nearest airport to Shikharji with scheduled flights. Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi, is about 165 km away, Durgapur about 170 km, Gaya about 179 km and Kolkata about 358 km. Dhanbad airport has no scheduled flights, and Bokaro airport was still awaiting its DGCA licence in July 2026.
What does a doli cost at Shikharji?
On the Madhuban rate card published in June 2025, a two-bearer doli for the Shikharji vandana costs ₹2,300 for a pilgrim up to 49 kg and ₹2,760 for 50-69 kg; heavier pilgrims take a chair doli at ₹4,600 to ₹9,200 depending on weight. The full parikrama is charged at double. Book it the evening before at Madhuban.
How many tonks are there on Parasnath Hill?
It depends on who is counting. The Giridih district administration lists 20 tonks on Parasnath Hill, one for each Tirthankara who attained moksha there; the Digambar count is 25 (the 24 Tirthankaras plus Gautam Ganadhar); and several Jain guides give 31. The tonks are on the summit ridge, not along the climb, and the Parshvanath (Swarnabhadra) tonk is the highest.
Can non-Jains visit Parasnath Hill?
Yes - the trek and shrines on Parasnath Hill are open to all visitors, who are asked to dress modestly and avoid leather. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food are banned on the hill, and since January 2023 the Union environment ministry has barred tourism and eco-tourism activity there, so it is visited as a pilgrimage. Photography is restricted inside the shrines.
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