IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN JAIN PILGRIMAGE, ANCIENT ARCHITECTUR OF INDIA OR ANY HILLTOP PLACE THEN MUST VISIT “PALITANA-THE JAIN PILGRIMAGE”. THE TOWN OF PALITANA, 51km AWAY FROM SOUTH WEST OF BHAVNAGAR-GUJARAT-INDIA IS LITTLE MORE THEN A GATEWAY TO “SHATRUNJAYA”.
PALITANA-SHATRUNJAYA -STREWN WITH 863 TEMPLES, [Actually there are 108 large temples and 872 small shrines with about 7000 images total.]
THE HILLTOP COMPLEX OF ‘SHATRUNJAYA’ [THE PALACE OF VICTORY] IS ONE OF JAINISM’S HOLIEST PILGRIMAGE SITES IN THE WORLD.
THE TEMPLES WERE BUILT OVER A PERIOD OF 9000 YEARS ON A HILLTOP DEDICATED ENTIRELY TO THE GOD; AT DUSK, EVEN THE PRIESTS DEPART FROM THE TEMPLES, LEAVING THEM DESERTED.
ALL THE TEMPLES ARE JAIN. THIS HILL DEMONSTRATES THEIR BELIFE THAT MERIT IS DERIVED FROM CONSTTUCTING TEMPLES.
THE HILLTOPS ARE BOUNDED BY STURDY WALLS AND THE TEMPLES ARE GROUPED INTO NINE ‘TUNKS’[ENCLOSURES]-EACH WITH A CENTRAL TEMPLE WITH MANY MINOR ONES CLUSTERED AROUND.
SOME OF THE EARLIEST TEMPLES WERE BUILT BEFORE 11th CENTURY BUT WERE DESTROYED BY MUSLIMS IN THE 14th and 15th CENTURIES;
THE CURRENT TEMPLES DATE FROM THE 16th CENTURY ONWARDS.
THE HILLTOP AFFORDS A VERY FINE VIEW IN ALL DIRECTIONS;ON CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE THE GULF OF CAMBAY BEYOUND BHAVNAGAR.THE MOST NOTEBLE OF THE TEMPLES IS DEDICATED TO ‘SHRI AADISHWARA’ OR LOURD RISHBHDEVA-THE FRIST JAIN TIRTHANKAR. NOTE THE FRIEZE OF DRAGONS AROUND THIS TEMPLE. THE CURRENT TEMPLE BUILT IN 1618 BY A WEALTHY JAIN MERCHANT.
THE ‘CHAUMUKH’ OR FOUR FACED SHRINE, HAS IMAGES OFAADINATH FACING OUT IN THE FOUR CARDINAL DIRECTIONS.
THIS MAGNIFICENT MONUMENT OF DEVOTIONAL ARCHITECTURE SEEMS BATHED IN CELESTIAL BLISS. THROUGHOUT THE CLUSTER YOU CAN SEE DETAILED CARVINGS, BEAUTIFUL IDOLS AND IMAGE, JEWELED STATUES & INTRICATE TORANAS. SUNRISE BEHIND THE TEMPLES IS A GREAT SIGHT.
THE VERY HILLS AROUND, DWARFED BY ITS IMPOSING BEARING, APPEAR ABSORBED IN MUTE MEDITATION, AS IF SPELL-BOUND.
THE CONCORD ACHIEVED BETWEEN THE BOUNTEOUS GENEROSITY OF NATURE AND MAN”S CREATIVE EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE, STANDS UNIQUELY SYMBOLISED IN THIS DIVINE CREATION.
TO BEHOLD THIS HOLY SHRINE IN ITS SPECTACULATLY SUBLIME SETTING IS TO EXPERIENCE INSTANT UPLIFTING OF THE SOUL. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO SLEEP OVERNIGHT INCLUDING THE PRIEST, BECAUSE THE TEMPLE CITY HAS BEEN BUILT AS AN ABODE FOR THE GODS.
THE TOWN IS CONSIDERED BY MANY JAINS TO BE MORE IMPORTENT THEN THE TEMPLE COVERED HILLS OF SAMMETSHKHAR-JHARKHAND, MT. ABU and GIRNAR.
PALITANA WAS THE CAPITAL OF A PRINCELY STATE OF THE GOHIL RAJPUT CLAN.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE GREATEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN GUJRAT-INDIA FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER TEMPLES [BESIDES THOSE ON THE SHATRUNJAYA HILLS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT EVERY JAIN SHOULD VISIT PALITANA AT LEAST ONCE IN HIS LIFETIME TO GET "BHVAYA" STATUS [FIT TO ATTAIN NIRVAN OR SALVATION).
OTHER IMPORTANT TEMPLES- ARE THOSE DEDICATED BY KUMARPAL, SAMPRITI RAJA, & VIMALSHAH.
• 108 SAMVASARAN MANDIR : THE TEMPLE IN THE TOWN OF PALITANA
[ AT THE ENTRANCE OF HILL] HAS 108 IDOLS AND SCULPTURES/IMAGE OF 23third JAIN TIRTHANKAR SHRI PARSHWANATH.
JAIN MUSEUMS : PALITANA HAS TWO TRUST RUN JAIN MUSEUMS.THE SHRI VISHALJAIN KALA SANSTHAN and the Stapitya kala graha, with cloth paintings, manuscripts, palm leaf books, book covers, ivory sculpture and paintings on ivory and figurines.
THE TEMPLES ARE OPEN FROM 6.30am TO 5.30pm .
A PHOTOGRAPHY PERMIT CAN BE PURCHASED FOR Rs.35 JUST INSIDE THE MAIN ENTRANCE. SHOES SHOULD BE REMOVED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE COMPOUND. LEATHER ITEMS SUCH AS INCLUDING BELTS AND BEGS SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT ONTO THE TEMPLE.
A HOURSE CART AND AUTORIKSHA TO THE BASE OF THE HILL [FROM MAIN CITY] COST RS.20 TO 40.YOU CAN WALK FROM PALITANA BUS STAND IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
IN SUMMER SEASON THE HEAT CAN BE EXTREME BY LATE MORNING , SO IT’S GOOD IDEA TO START EARLY FOR THE ASCENT.WATER [NOT BOTTLED] CAN BE BOUGHT AT INTERVALS. ANY REFRESHMENT OR EATABLE NOT ALLOWED AT ENTIRE HILLTOP.
THE 600m ASCENT FROM THE BASE OF THE HILL TO THE SUMMIT IS 2km, UP MORE THEN 3000 STEPS.
AT A MODERATE PACE, THE ASCENT WILL TAKE ABOUT 1.30 HOURS. YOU CAN BE CARRIED UP THE HILL IN A ‘DOLI’ (ROPE CHAIR) WHICH COSTS FROM Rs.300 to 900 DEPENDENT ON COMFORT & SEASON.
THE MOST CONSPICUOUS SIGHT ON FRIST ENTERING THE TEMPLE IS THAT THE IMAGE OF LOURD AADINATH.
PLACES TO STAY & EAT-
[1].IF YOU ARE A JAIN THEN DON’T WORRY ABOUT BOARD AND LODGING BECAUSE PALITANA HAS SCORES OF DHARMASHALAS -(PILGRIMS REST HOUSE) YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO BE ALLOWED TO STAY AT ANY OF THEM.
[2].IF YOU ARE NOT JAIN THEN SOME PLACES TO STAY ARE AS FOLLOWS-
’HOTEL SUMERU’ [PHONE-02848-2327]-ROOMS START FROM Rs.350 to 850.ITS VEG.RESTAURANT SERVS GUJRATI THALIS AS WELL AS PUNJABI & CONTINENTAL DISHES. ’HOTEL SHRAVAKA’ [PHONE-02848-2428] ROOMS START FROM Rs.200 to 600.
JAGRUTI RESTRAURANT AND HAVMOR-ICE CREAM PARLOUR IS BEST FOR EATING OUT.
ACROSS THE ALLEY THE NON VEG.FOOD ARE PROBHITED IN WHOLE PALITANA BY GUJRAT GOVT.
GETTING THERE & AWAY-
• BY-AIR- BHAVNAGAR the nearest airport lies at a distance of 51 kilometer from PALITANA, but it is only connected to MUMBAI For people coming from other places, a more convenient airport would be AHMEDABAD which has an international airport or BARODA-VADODARA as it is connected through regular flights to many important cities of the country like MUMBAI and
NEW DELHI
• BY TRAIN- PALITANA HAS A TRAIN STATION BUT ITS ONLY CONNECTED WITH BHAVNAGAR. SO THE BEST OPTION IS -GO FROM MUMBAI-AHEMDABAD RAIL LINE OF "WESTERN RAILWAY", RESERVE YOUR TICKET IN TRAIN NO-2971/2972 "BHAVNAGAR EXPRESS"
AND LEFT THIS ON SONGARH STATION BEFORE SIHOR AND BAHVNAGAR,
FROM SONGARH BUS AND PVT.VEHICLE ARE AVAILABLE OUT SIDE THE STATION. A SHARED CAB TAKE Rs.30 FOR PALITANA. YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR OWN AT JUST Rs.300.AUTOS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT JUST Rs.25 TO 50 FOR PALITANA.
ITS TAKE A TIME OF 30minutes.
• BY ROAD-There are busses for BHAVNAGAR from PALITANA. Regular buses are also available from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Talaja, Una, and Diu. Taxis are also available on hire for PALITANA from BHAVNAGAR, AHMEDABAD or VADODARA.
The bus stand is situated 800 meters away from the PALITANA railway station. Since Palitana is an imporant destination for a lot of people who follow Jainism, and the fact that there are a lot of people in MUMBAI, there are buses that run daily between MUMBAI and PALITANA.
SO GO FOR IT