Giridih

Giridih district is anchored by one of India's most significant religious sites — Parasnath Hill (Shikharji), the 1,365-metre mountain where 20 of the 24 Jain tirthankaras are believed to have attained moksha (liberation). The pilgrimage circuit on this mountain draws millions of Jain devotees annually and constitutes one of the largest sustained religious walking events in India.

The Shikharji pradakshina (circumambulation circuit) is a 26 km walk that rises nearly 800 metres through forest to a series of 20 Jain temples on the ridgeline and summit, each dedicated to a different tirthankara and maintained by different Jain trusts. The circuit begins at Madhuban village at the base — a pilgrimage township entirely oriented around the mountain — and the full circuit takes 8–10 hours on foot. The summit views across the Damodar valley and the Jharkhand–West Bengal border forest are extensive.

Usri Falls, 45 km south of Giridih town on the Usri River, is a waterfall of modest height (10 metres) but significant width — a broad, flat cascade over a sandstone lip that creates natural pools below, popular as a weekend stop with families from Dhanbad and Giridih. Harihar Dham on the banks of the Usri River near Bagodar is a modern religious complex with a massive Shiva statue and a riverside temple that draws large pilgrimage traffic during Shivaratri.