Pracheen Shri 1008 Parshvnath Digamber Jain Mandir, Palganj,Giridih,Jharkhand

Palganj has a Digambar Jain temple which has an ancient idol of child Tirthankara Shri Parshvanath Bhagwan in Padmasana posture as the Mulnayak Bhagwan (main deity). All rituals, including worship and consecration, have been performed in this temple according to the Digambara Jain tradition since ancient times. The temple was renovated by the Digambara Jain Tirthakshetra Committee, and the renovation work was completed on December 15, 1970.

The main idol is of Tirthankara Shri Parshvanath Bhagwan in Padmasana which is about 3 feet high.

Location – Palaganj is located 25 kilometers from the eternal Siddha Kshetra Shri Sammed Shikharji, the district center of Jharkhand state, and 21 kilometers from Giridih.
However, there is currently no Jain community in Palaganj village. But its glorious past is a living example of the ancient history of this region and its connection with Jainism.

Historians estimate the statue to be over 2,500 years old. They date it to around the fourth century BCE.

This is a Digambara Jain temple, where the idol is worshipped and consecrated with great devotion by the Digambara Jain community.
The idol has been identified as Lord Parshvanath based on the seven hoods of snakes carved in the background. The eyes are beautifully carved in a meditative posture (deep in meditation). The statue’s beauty. The statue sits on a carpet atop a pedestal on which two beautiful lions are carved. The back of the statue is carved with serpents intertwined with their hoods. On either side of the statue are carvings of Indra, below which are carved figures of divine beings kneeling in reverence to the god. Below the divine carvings, on the left and right sides of the pedestal, are carved smaller statues of Yakshas (Dharanendra) and Yakshinis (Padmavati Devi). Above the Indras are carved smaller statues of the 18 Tirthankaras (three in each row, nine on either side), On which statues of elephants carrying divine instruments (holding musical instruments and flower garlands in their hands) are engraved. Above these carvings are carved the remaining statues of the 6 Tirthankaras (3 on each side) with the Chhatra (divine three-layered umbrella) and Ashoka tree carved on them.

Thus, looking at the carvings of this amazing statue, it seems that this statue is a wonder in itself.
This Digambar Jain temple has amazing splendor in itself.

Located about 10km from Parasnath station (45 minutes journey) and 20km from Giridih, the temple is home to a truly special and ancient 2500 years old statue of Tirthankar Parshwanath. The energy and aura of the temple are palpable, making it a very serene and peace-giving experience.

While the main sanctum (garbhagriha) is small and can only accommodate about 7-8 devotees at a time, this intimate setting only adds to the temple’s unique charm. The temple also has a well on the premises.