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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. It is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world.
Palitana is associated with Śvetāmbaras legends and history. Ādinātha, the first of the Jain tirthankaras, is said to have meditated on the Shatrunjaya hill, where the Palitana temples were later constructed.
Palitana, Bhavnagar, Gujarat
What eventually became Palitana State was founded in 1194. In 1656, Shah Jahan’s son Murad Baksh (the then Governor of Gujarat) granted the village of Palitana to the prominent Jain merchant Shantidas Jhaveri. The management of the temples was assigned to the Anandji Kalyanji Trust in 1730.
During the British Raj, Palitana was a princely state in the Kathiawar Agency of the Bombay presidency. It ceased to exist with the establishment of independent India in 1948.
| Name: | Shatrunjaya Tirtha, Palitana [Padliptapur of Kathiawad] |
| Location: | 3000 temples located on the Shatrunjaya Hills, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat, India |
| Deity: | Rishabhanatha |
| Affiliation: | Jainism |
| Sect: | Shwetambara, Shvetambara, Svetambara or Swetambara |
| Completed In: | 11th century CE |
| Festival: | Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, Kartik Purnima & Falgun Feri |
| Governing body: | Anandji Kalyanji Trust |
Palitana Temples:
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 the first Tirthankara Rishabhanatha (Rishabhadeva). The temples were built by generations of Jains over a period of 900 years, from the 11th century onwards. The temples are managed by the Anandji Kalyanji Trust associated with the Kasturbhai Lalbhai group. From the foot of the hill to the top there are about 3,800 stone steps to facilitate climbing.
The temples are exquisitely carved in marble, veritable prayers in stone. To an observer, these appear to be ivory miniatures when seen from a distance. Created by master craftsmen, the most important temple is that of the first tirthankara, Shri Adishwar. It has ornate architectural motifs, though in its overall plan it is simpler than the Choumukh. Other notable temples are those of Kumarpal, Vimalshah and Sampriti Raja. Kumarpal Solanki, a great Jain patron, probably built the earliest temple. The temple has a fabulous collection of jewels, and these can be seen with special permission. The temples date from 11th to the 20th century. From 1865 to 1910 it was ruled by King Dhanpat.
Belief:
Every devout Jain aspires to climb to the top of the mountain at least once in his lifetime, because of its sanctity. Not just the temples on the hill are sacred, but as per Jain Scriptures entire hill is sacred right from top to bottom. The journey is arduous. The walk up the stone stairway hewn into the mountain face takes about an hour and a half. For those unable or unaccustomed to the strain, sling-chairs are available at a bargain. The code for the climbers is stringent, in keeping with the rigours of the Jain faith. Food must neither be eaten nor carried on the way. The descent must begin before it is evening, for no soul can remain atop the sacred mountain during the night.
Vegetarianism:
In 2014, Palitana became the first city in the world to be legally vegetarian. It has outlawed, or made illegal, the buying and selling of meat, fish and eggs, and also related jobs or work, such as fishing and penning ‘food animals’.
How to reach Palitana, Bhavnagar, Gujarat:
By air:
The nearest airport at Bhavnagar lies at a distance of 51 kilometres from Palitana, with daily flights to Mumbai, Surat and Ahmedabad, 215 kilometres away by road, has an international airport with regular flights to many important cities.
Keeping in mind the religious and tourism travel, the State government has initiated the process of land acquisition for a new airport at Palitana as part of its plan to establish 11 new airports in Gujarat. The pre-feasibility study has been handed over to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
By rail:
Palitana has a small railway station, Palitana railway station, that is connected to Sihor and Bhavnagar. Most of the trains stop at Sihor, which is connected to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
By 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 in good condition. 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.
Palitana, one of the holiest religious centres for Jains, bans non-veg food: The significance of Shatrunjay Hills and why Jains wanted a meat ban in Palitana
The ban in Palitana includes the sale and consumption of meat and the slaughtering of animals for meat, making these acts illegal and subject to legal penalties. This decision came after continuous protests by around 200 Jain monks, who demanded the closure of about 250 butcher shops in the city.
Palitana, a city in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, has made history as the first city globally to prohibit the sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food, making it illegal. This trailblazing decision signifies a major cultural and religious shift, driven by the strong influence of Jainism and its core principles.
The ban in Palitana includes the sale and consumption of meat and the slaughtering of animals for meat, making these acts illegal and subject to legal penalties. This decision came after continuous protests by around 200 Jain monks, who demanded the closure of about 250 butcher shops in the city. Their demonstrations highlighted the religious and ethical beliefs of the Jain community, which upholds non-violence (ahimsa) as a core principle.
For centuries now, Jains have been peacefully living in the vicinity of meat consumers and meat sellers without demanding them to mend their ways because they strongly believe in the principle of ‘Anekantwad’, a profound philosophical concept gifted by Jainism to the world, which could be loosely translated to ‘developing a maturity to observe tolerance and diversity’. On occasions when they did oppose meat ban and sale near their temples and holy centres, it was during the eight days of holy Paryushana Parva—the most important religious observance of the year for Jains when they seek forgiveness for the sins committed, knowingly or unknowingly, through thought, word, and deeds, throughout the past year.
The religious significance of Palitana and Shatrunjay Hills for Jains
But Palitana is one of the holiest religious centres for the Shwetambar Murtipujak sect of Jainism. Palitana is a revered pilgrimage destination for Jains, often referred to as “Jain Temple Town.” Located near the Shatrunjaya Hills, it boasts over 800 temples, with the Adinath Temple being the most famous. These sites attract thousands of devotees and tourists each year, highlighting the city’s spiritual importance.
To present a context, Palitana is to Jains what Ram Janmabhoomi is for Hindus, Jerusalem is for Christians, and Mecca is for Muslims. Jains consider Palitana sacred for it is the cradle of the Shatrunjay Hills, referred to as ‘Shashwat Bhumi’ or eternal land that will outlive the vicissitudes of time and will continue to be a beacon of religiosity and salvation for billions of souls to come.
According to Jainism, countless souls have attained salvation or ‘nirvana’ to moksha through the sacred Shatrunjay Tirth, including the first Tirthankar of the current cycle, Lord Aadinath, the founder of the Ikshavaku dynasty – the eponymous name that derived from an incident involving a Jain Shravak offering Ikshu juice (sugarcane juice) to break Lord Aadinath’s rigorous penance of over 400 days of fasting, popularly referred to as ‘Varshitapa’ in Jain parlance. The religious shrine, according to Jains, is billions of years old and will live for boundless time to come.
The sanctity of life of all living beings and the religious significance of Shatrunjay Hills form the basis for the demand for a meat ban in Palitana
It is this sacredness of the Shatrunjay Hills and the religious shrine perched atop, along with the core Jainism tenet of Ahinsā that form the basis of the demands to ban the sale and consumption of meat in Palitana. Ahinsā is another important tenet of Jainism that forms the cornerstone of its ethics and doctrine. It means to be utterly harmless, not only to oneself but to others as well, including all forms of life, from the largest mammals to the smallest microorganisms on Earth. Jainism professes equal rights for all living beings regardless of their size, shape, or spiritual development. No living being has a right to harm, injure, or kill any other living being, be it animals, insects, or plants. That not just human life but every life of every living being is sacred and inviolable forms the bedrock of Jainism’s Ahimsa tenet.
While in many religions, the sanctity of life is applied solely to the human species, in Jainism, the idea that life is sacred, holy, precious and inviolable is applied to all living beings, including animals, insects and plants. To uphold this principle and show empathy for animals subjected to merciless slaughter, the Jains wanted to ensure their holiest shrine became a haven for innocent creatures, where they could flourish and live their lives without being slaughtered for mankind’s culinary preferences.
