PALITANA THE JAIN PILGRIMAGE CENTER..

PALITANA

THE JAIN PILGRIMAGE CENTER
THE MARVEL OF JAINISM AND
THE RELIGIOUS ART

 

[1]
PALITANA IS THE LARGEST AND THE GREATEST
JAIN SACRED PILGRIMAGE CENTER IN THE WORLD.

[2] 

THE PALITANA HILLS IS THE PLACE WHERE MILLIONS OF SOULS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE ACHIEVED NIRAVANA OR ULTIMATE AND EVERLASTING LIBERATION WITH INFINITE KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION, ENERGY AND SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS.

[3]
PALITANA CITY IS IN THE BHAVNAGAR DISTRICT OF

STATE OF GUJARAT, INDIA.

IT IS SITUATED ABOUT 50 km, SOUTHWEST OF BHAVNAGAR CITY.

[4]

THE TEMPLE COMPLEX OF PALITANA IS THE WORLDS' LARGEST AND IS CONSIDERED THE MOST SACRED PILGRIMAGE PLACE OF/BY THE JAINS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE ARE SOME 3000 EXQUISITE TEMPLES WITH MARVELOUS ART ON SHATRUNJAY HILLS. THE FIRST TIRTHANKAR, LORD ADINATHA OR RISHABHDEVA, HAS THE MOST PRONOUNCED PLACEMENT.

[5]

ON TOP OF THE SHATRUNJAYA HILL IS A CLUSTER OF JAIN TEMPLES 

BUILT OVER SOME 900 YEARS AGO BY GENERATIONS OF JAINS  

STARTING FROM 11TH CENTURY

[6]

FROM THE FOOT OF THE HILL TO THE TOP, THERE ARE MORE THAN 3,800 STONE STEPS CARVED OUT OF ROCKS TO FACILITATE CLIMBING IN THE 13TH CENTURY

[7]

THE TEMPLES ARE EXQUISITELY CARVED IN IVORY-RESEMBLING MARBLE.

THE LEADING TEMPLE IS OF LORD ADISHWAR.

[8]
THIS TEMPLE HAS A FABULOUS COLLECTION OF EXPENSIVE JEWELS

DONATED BY RICH JAIN PATRONS.

[9]

THE TEMPLES DATE FROM 11th TO THE 20th CENTURY 

[10]

THE DAY OF THE FAGUN SUD 13th FALLING SOMEWHERE IN FEBRUARY  

AND MARCH IS THE MOST VISITED AND CROWDED DAY

[11]A JAIN ASPIRES TO CLIMB TO THE TOP OF MOUNTAIN ONCE IN HIS LIFE TIME

[12] 

MOTI SHAH TOONK (TEMPLE) AT THE TOP OF THE SIDDHACHA HILLS

1

[13]THE CLIMB MUST BEGIN EARLY IN THE MORNING AND RETURN DESCENT

MUST BE COMPLETED BY EVENING. NO OVERNIGHT STAY ALLOWED.

[14]

SOME FACTS ABOUT PALITANA.

SHETRUNJAY TEMPLES; STEPS TO CLIMB: 3364

HEIGHT: 2000 FEET. WALKING: 7.5 MILES.

PRATIMA (DEITIES): 27007 IN JINMANDIR TOTALING 3507 

[15]
THERE ARE MORE THAN 27000 IDOLS OF JAIN GODS ON THIS MOUNTAIN ALONE

[16]

OVERNIGHT STAY IS FORBIDDEN FOR ALL HUMANS AS IT IS A

PEACEFUL RESTING PLACE FOR GODS

[17]

THERE ARE TWO SUMMITS WITH 900 TEMPLES WITH

EXTRAORDINARY ART AND SCULPTURES

[18]

THE SAMAVASHARANA TEMPLE IN PALITANA VALLEY

[19]
THE PALITANA IS ALSO KNOWN AS SIDDHAKSHETRA:

A PLACE WHERE A SOUL GETS NIRVANA

[20]

CARVING IN LIMESTONES IN NEMINATH TEMPLE,

SHATRUNJAY HILLS, PALITANA

[21]
THE MAIN TEMPLE CONTAINS THE IDOL OF LORD NEMINATH

[22]
EVERY SHRINE HAS IDOLS OF LORD TIRTHANAKAR

ADORNED WITH PRECIOUS JEWELLED EYES

[23]
ONE OF THE SACRED SYMBOLS OF JAINS CALLED "HRIMKARA"
HAS TWENTY FOUR LORD TIRTHANKARS

[24]
ONE OF THE SACRED SYMBOLS OF JAINS CALLED "OMKARA" WITH PANCH PARMESHTHI OR THE THE FIVE BEST MOST VENERABLE HUMAN RELIGIOUS ACHIEVERS

[25]
TIRTHANAKR SUMATINATH, MULNAYAK SANCHA SUMATINATH TEMPLE,

TALHETI, PALTANA

[26]
SRI ADINATHA RISHABHA DEVA, THE FIRST LORD TIRTHANKARA, HAS 

THE PRIMARY IDOL IN THIS AGAM MANDIR IN PALITANA TALHETI

[27]

BRILLIANT IDOL OF FIRST TIRTHANKAR, LORD RISHABHADEVA,

ALSO KNOWN AS LORD ADINAATHA