Palitana Temples in Bhavnagar

April 11, 2022

The Palitana temples of Jainism are located in the Shatrunjaya Hills near Palitana in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. The City of Temples was once known as Padliptapur. The Jain community considers these sites, along with Shikharji in the state of Jharkhand, to be the holiest of all pilgrimage sites. No one, including priests, is allowed to stay overnight in the temple-city because it was created to be a place of worship for the gods. Every Jain regards a visit to this complex of temples as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attain nirvana, or salvation. 

The Jain community regards this place on Shatrunjaya hill as sacred, and there are hundreds of temples here. On the slopes, there are roughly 863 marble-carved temples. Stepping up 3500 steps leads to the main temple. Except for Neminatha (a liberated soul who has destroyed all of its karma), 23 tirthankaras (human beings who assist in obtaining liberation and enlightenment) are reported to have sanctified the hill through their visits. The main temple is devoted to Rishabha, the first tirthankara, and is the Svetambara Murtipujaka sect’s holiest site. There is only one temple for the Digambara Jain here.

In 2014, Palitana became the first city in the world to be declared legally vegetarian. It has made the purchasing and selling of meat, fish, and eggs, as well as related vocations or work, such as fishing and keeping “food animals,” illegal.

You would be enthralled wandering among the hundreds of temples that dot the mountainside. The Adinath Temple, on the highest point on the far (south) side, is the largest and one of the most spectacular and important, with a fantastic amount of exquisite sculpture. People walking down the street can replenish their energy by purchasing a bowl of curd from one of the many vendors.
How To Reach

By Air
The nearest airport is Bhavnagar Airport, which is 55 KMs from Palitana.

By Train
It is well connected by rail from Bhavnagar and Mumbai.

By Road
There is very good road connectivity with all the major cities in Gujarat State.