Palitana

Palitana

Palitana is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre for Jains. Palitana is associated with Jain legends and history. Adinath, the first of the Jain tirthankaras, is said to have meditated on the Shatrunjaya hill, where the Palitana temples were later constructed.

Connectivity:

Air: The nearest airport at Bhavnagar lies at a distance of 51 kilometers from Palitana, with two daily flights to Mumbai. Ahmedabad, 215 kilometers away by road, Ahmedabad has an international airport with regular flights to many important cities.

Rail: Palitana has a small railway station that is connected to Songadh and Bhavanagar.Most of the trains stop at Sihor, which is connected to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Road: There are hourly buses for Bhavnagar from Palitana. Regular buses are also available for Ahmedabad, Talaja, Una, and Diu. The total journey time to Una or Diu is around 6 hours as the roads are good condition. Taxis are also available on hire for Palitana from Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad or Vadodra.The bus stand is situated 800 meters away from the Palitana railway station.

Palitana is the world’s only mountain that has more than 900 temples. The Palitana temples and whole mountain are considered the most sacred pilgrimage place (tirtha) by the Jain community, and is the world’s largest Temple Complex. There are more than 3000 temples located on the Shatrunjaya hills, exquisitely carved in marble. The main temple on top of the hill is dedicated to 1st tirthankar lord Adinath (Rishabdeva). On the top the Shatrunjai Hill is a cluster of Jain temples, built by generations of Jains over a period of 900 years, from the 11th century onwards. From the foot of the hill to the top there are 3,800 and odd stone steps cut to facilitate climbing.