SwapnilJirageTravelPost: Gunawa and Nawada, Sammed Shikharji Parikrama

http://ekpravas.blogspot.com/2015/01/gunawa-and-nawada.html

Base Town: Gonava Village Nawada
Where: Patna-Ranchi Road, Bihar
How to reach: From Parasnath Railway Station-Jhumri Teliya-Nawada (5 Hrs)
Best time to visit: Sept-February (post rains)
Time visited: Dec 2014
Stay: Dharmashalas
Food: Hotmeals in Dharmashalas
Parking: Parking available outside premises

Gunawa

The temple is said to be built in 1925.

Nawada

It is said that when Bhagwan Mahavir attained Moksha in Pavapuri, at same time, Bhagwan Mahavirs, first first disciple (Gautam Gandhar), attained Kevaldyan in Gunawa. The temple is dedicated to Bhagwan Mahavir Temple. Old idols of Bhagwan Kuntunath, Bhagwan Parasnath.

Sammed Shikharji Parikrama

Base Town: Madhuban/Shikharji

Where: 23 Kms from Parasnath Railway Station, Giridih district, Jharkhand

How to reach: From Parasnath Railway Station and take a cab from there.

Best time to visit: Sept-February (post rains)

Time visited: Dec 2014

Stay: Various Dharmashalas, Hotels

Food: Hotmeals in Dharmashalas, few eateries outside

Parking: Parking available inside Dharmashalas

Tour Plan

The Parikrama is divided into 3 main sections.
1) Madhuban-Dhokatta: 21 Kms (5 Hrs)
2) Dholkatta-GT Road-Nimia Ghat Temple: 13 KMs (2.5 Hrs)
3) Nimia Ghat-Madhuban: 19 KMs (5 Hrs)

Things to Carry
Time-Distance: 53 Kms around 14 hours to complete
When to Start: 4 AM.
What to carry: Light lunch & snack that you can eat even when walking like Cucumber, Oranges, Dates and other dryfruits, Rajgira Vadi/Chikki
What to wear: Shoes preferred but carry Floaters. Carry Jerkin/Sweater. It could be cold and chilly.
Medicines: Antiseptic & Bandages. You might get shoe bites and blisters.

Some loose coins. Its extreme poverty and its very remote. At every village, children would come after you begging.

Map from backpage of book- ‘Shikharji Guide’ by R.P.Pandit.

We started early at 4.30 AM. The weather was chilly and breezy. Around 2.5 Kms after crossing 'Sita Nala' cross Pipradih village to reach Pandedih village which is around 5kms. Now the both the extreme ends on the Vandana- Chandraprabhu Tonk and Parshavnath Tonk are visible far away on the right side.

From Navadih village,we proceed to Baritond village. The clock read around 1.5+ hrs and mobile app showed 8KMS. At around 14 Kms you will reach Chatrobeda village.

For almost next 1.5 hours the trail goes through dense jungle across the mountains and valleys. The trail is prepared by forest department. The fresh misty morning and eerie silence amongst the tall trees makes this 7 km walk the most enjoyable.

Just few kms before the Dholkatta village, as the jungle become less dense, you begin to again see the mountain range on right and almost 4 tonks-Chandraprabhu, Anantnath, Sheetalnath and Abhinandan are visible.

Dhokatta (Dholkatta Nala) was the first stop for rest and breakfast- It was close to 9.15 AM- around 4/4.5 hrs and distance should be 21 Kms. After 20 mins rest we proceeded further.

After 10 mins walk you will come to diversion. A big dusty road prepared by Forest Department goes straight to GT road via Dahia. We took the right trail which was shortcut to GT road.

The toughest 8KM walk under blazing sun on hot tar was tiring indeed. It was almost 12.45 PM and we had clocked almost 33 kms and we had reached our second destination- Nimia Ghat.

The peaceful surroundings of Parshavanath Digamber Jain temple helps to much needed relaxation. Time to remove shoes and have hearty meal and refreshing chai from Pandit.

Around 2/2.15 we started the last stretch of 16 kms. Its straight road from here. After about 1Km, leaving the main road we took a diversion on the dusty trail on the left. Far away tucked in the mountains is Parasnath Tonk clearly visible (circled).

After crossing Kodotond at 33Kms, we procedded further to khuntahar village, famous for its huge idol of Bajarangbali.

It was close to 4PM and we had clocked 39 kms. After completing 10/11 kms walk from Nimia Ghat, the trial enters a dense forest but this time its steep climb. As confusing trail take us up and down it was also starting to get darker and darker.

The trail reached Mohanpur and it was pitch dark. Last few kms of trail was more of dragging our sore feet

The final readings...

Base Town: Madhuban/Shikharji

Where: 23 Kms from Parasnath Railway Station, Giridih district, Jharkhand

How to reach: From Parasnath Railway Station and take a cab from there.

Best time to visit: Sept-February (post rains)

Time visited: Dec 2014

Stay: Various Dharmashalas, Hotels

Food: Hotmeals in Dharmashalas, few eateries outside

Parking: Parking available inside Dharmashalas

Day 2- The Climb- Vandana (36Kms).

Note:

Start climb early so that you are back before its dark. It starts getting dark around 5.30/6pm. The gates open at around 3AM.
In winter the temperatures drop drastically and it’s cold throughout the day and very foggy till 11AM. Typically if you stand in sun you will feel hot but if you move in shadows the chilly winds bite you.
If you are taking a doli, you will need to book in advance a day earlier. But Doli are available at lot of place. At every steep corner you would often meet someone asking for doliJ
Beware of monkeys.
Carry some change if you want to donate. Unfortunately there are lot small kids who would keep on begging and it sad to see their plight.
Carry Dates, Cucumber Rajigra/Groundnut Chikki for instant energy.
The path is mostly concretized except few places at the top and unless you take shortcuts.

We started at 4 AM sharp. It was pitch dark but the crowd had already begun climbing. But as the it started to dawn sun rose behind the Abhinandan Tonk.

Jal Mandir from top

The climb down

Madhuban view...well almost there, few more miles to go!

View from Parshavnath Tonk

View from Chandraprabu Tonk

While everyone say its 27kms Here is how my app showed on mobile-- I had set the target as 25kms but then it turned out it was 27 miles and 27 kms. It was 36KMs which we completed in 12hours!!!

Base Town: Madhuban (Shikharji)

Where: 23 Kms from Parasnath Railway Station, Giridih district, Jharkhand

How to reach: From Parasnath Railway Station and take a cab from there.

Best time to visit: Sept-February (post rains)

Time visited: Dec 2014

Stay: Various Dharmashalas, Hotels

Food: Hotmeals in Dharmashalas, few eateries outside

Parking: Parking available inside Dharmashalas

Tour Plan

Day 1- Madhuban

History as per Internet:
The place is called Sammed Śikhar or Sammet Shikhar, meaning the peak of concentration because it is a place where twenty of twenty-four Tirthankaras attained a state of mokṣa through meditative concentration. It is situated on a group of eight hills called the Parasnath Hills in Giridih, Jharkhand. The base of Sammed Shikharji is called Madhuvan because of the trees sprinkling with drops and crystals of Madhu (Honey) all around the bottom of the mountain.The earliest reference to Shikharji as a tirth (place of pilgrimage) is found in the Jñātṛdhārmakātha, one of the twelve core texts of Jainism: at Shikharji, Mallinātha, the nineteenth Jina practiced samadhi. Shikharji is also mentioned in the Pārśvanāthacarita, a twelfth century biography of Pārśva.

Note:

Best to book room in Dharmashala in advance
Food (Dinner) is available inside in Dharmashalas mostly till 7PM. Some Dharmashalas like BeesPanthi has canteen which is open from 5AM till 10pm and offer snacks like samosa, kachori, poha, upma,, jelbi, tea, coffee, milk etc.
If you need Doli, you will need to book, in the evening prior to you day of climb.
Hot water is usually available somewhere in Dharmshala but you may need to carry the buckets to your room. Some help is available and usually these guys carry up and charge 10rs/bucket.
Start early to climb so that you are back before its dark. It starts getting dark around 5.30/6pm. The gates open at around 3AM.
In winter the temperatures drop drastically and its cold throughout the day and very foggy till11AM. Carry enough warm clothes. Sweater, mufflers etc are available in local market too.

Started journey by Assansol EXP from Mumbai to Patna.The train was supposed to reached at 3.35pm on Dec 25 but due to extreme fog we reached almost at 8.45PM!. Thankfully we were able to change platforms and catch Hatia Express at 9.45 PM. Reached Parasnath Station at 3.10 AM on Dec 26. Cabs had already lined up although service starts at 4 am when the forest gates open. We went to Beespanthi Dharmashala which is 20KMS away from Parasnath Station in Madhuban. Luckily we had booked a room in advance and we got the keys after the office opened at 5AM.

In the morning we went around town and visited local temples. Town landscape. It’s all about this narrow lane which is the main artery of the town with shop spread across this road.

Continuously honking designer rickshaw.

Beespanthi Kothi is believed to 400 years old and situated right at the foothills of the mountain. It has 11 temples inside the premises and the main Parshavnath Bhagvan temple is believed to be built around 1815. The Dharmashala has around are 300+ rooms, 25+ bunglows, 3 Bhojnalayas and 1 canteen.

Terahpanthi Kothi

This huge Kothi has around 8 Temples and 3 Chaitalayas. The main temple is of Pusphadanta Bhagvan.

Digamber Jain Museum

The muesum has large number of scenes depicting Vrishabhnath Bhagvans poorvabhav and Panchakalyanike of Adinath Bhagvan.

Jain Museum

The double storied museum has several historical Jain artifacts and idols especially in elephant tusk and Chandan wood. There is collection of Jain Stamps and Grain of rice with Parshavanth Bhagwan idol carved meticulously.

There are around 50 scenes depicting various incidences from the period of Vrishabnath Bhagvan till today age.

The Shikharji mountain peaks can be observed through a binocular.

Jain Stamps in Jain Museum