Shatrunjaya Hill – The Jain temples of Palitana

Shatrunjaya Hill is one of the holiest of places for the ‘Swetambara’ Jains. The others being Girnar, Mt. Abu and Chandragiri. This hill is located at Palitana town in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. It is a hill where most of the tirthankaras also called jina’s attained nirvana. Atop Shatrunjaya Hill, one gets a great view of the city of Palitana and the Shetrunji river that passes by.

Shatrunjaya Hill is known as ‘a place of victory over inner enemies’. There are 3500 steps to reach the top of the hill. Distributed across two summits, there are all in all 863 temples making it the largest temple complex in the world. It took 900 years to build the temple complex. The first tirthankara ‘Rishabha’ delivered his first sermon here.

The temples were built in two phases. The first phase built between the 11th and 12th centuries; and the second built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Mughal rulers ransacked the temples in the 12th century.

Journey to the top:

The climb up is 3.5 km from the base and typically takes 2-3 hours. There are smaller temples that one can visit during the ascend. Carried at shoulder level, the dolis or palanquins are alternatives for whose who are unable to climb up. It is a recommend to carry sufficient water while climbing. Along the way there are seven stations which provide shelter and water.

One sees several idols of Rishaba along the way to the top. This temple is a must visit in a lifetime for the Jains to attain nirvana or salvation. Religious Jains climb this hill 99 times during the lifetime! They accomplish this by staying back in Palitana for 3 months and climbing the hill every day.

An early ascend to Shatrunjaya Hill is a recommend before the sun is out. This way, one can spend a few hours seeing the various temples and surrounding before returning back. One must travel back before sunset as overnight stay is not allowed.

Customs to adhere to:

One must not carry any form of leather (belt, wallet, purse) to this holy shrine. As a matter of respect, one must dress appropriately i.e no shorts or sleeveless shirts or t-shirts. When visiting shrines, one must not talk or laugh thus remaining silent. Permission for photography must be sought from temple attendants. No one is allowed to stay back and hence must return before dusk. This includes even the priests. The temple remains closed during the monsoon season.

Temples on Shatrunjaya Hill:

Adinatha temple built in the 6th century is the grandest of the temples on Shatrunjaya Hill. This temple was rebuilt in the 12th century. Dedicated to first tirthankara ‘Rishaba’, this temple houses his 7 feet marble statue in sitting position. People make it a point to visit this temple and then the ‘Nine Enclosures’ mentioned below. From far, the temples of Shatrunjaya resemble a fortress with a wall surrounding them.

The Adinatha shrine located on the southern summit is the most visited. People circumambulate the shrine thrice thereby covering the rest of the temples beside. The southern summit is the highest point on Shatrunjaya hill.

Nine Enclosures (Nav Tunk):

The pilgrims visit nine enclosures in addition to the main shrine of Adinatha as mentioned below. Seven of the nine enclosures are in the northern summit and two in the valley.

• Narshi Keshavji – Dedicated to the fourth tirthankara ‘Abhinandananatha’
• Chaumukhji – Dedicated to ‘Pundarika’, the first disciple of first tirthankara Rishabha
• Chipa Vasi – Dedicated to the first tirthankara ‘Rishabha’
• Shakar Shah – Dedicated to the twenty third tirthankara ‘Parsvanatha’
• Ujambhai – Dedicated to the tirthankaras
• Sheth Hemabhai – Dedicated to the second tirthankara ‘Ajita’
• Premchand Modi – Dedicated to the first tirthankara ‘Rishabha’ and his disciple ‘Pundarika’
• Balabhai – Dedicated to the first tirthankara ‘Rishabha’
• Sheth Moti Shah – Dedicated to the first tirthankara ‘Rishabha’

In conclusion, Shatrunjaya Hill is definitely worth a visit if you are visiting Gujarat. I would recommend you to stay overnight in the town of Palitana and explore this wonderful city in addition to Shatrunjaya.

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Best time to visit Shatrunjaya Hill

The best time to visit Shatrunjaya Hill in between the months of October to March. November to February is the peak season. Shatrunjaya Hill is closed during the monsoon season.

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How to reach Palitana ?

By Air:

Located 56 kms away from Bhavnagar is the town of Palitana. One can catch a private vehicle to visit Palitana.

By Rail:

Palitana is accessible  from Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad by a rail line.

By Road:

Palitana is easily accessible from Bhavnagar being 56 kms away and Ahmedabad which is 215 kms away.

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For more such experiences, check out the historical places to visit in India. In case culture is of interest, check out the places which exhibit the culture in India. And if spiritual is your interest, check out some of the north India tour packages and the rest of India.

In case you are keen on traveling to Shatrunjaya, you could take a look at the itinerary of Gujarat and cover Shatrunjaya Hill from Bhavnagar by adding an additional day or two.

You might also be interested to read about the Shravanabelagola which sports the largest monolithic structure (Mahavira) in the world. Mahavira is the 24th tirthankara and a holy place for the Jains.

India is not just about history. In fact, there are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, spirituality, mystery, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about the India for tourists to explore the different facets in destination India.