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Trip to Palitana – Jain Pilgrim Site

Bhanu25 Comments

Palitana Jain Temples

I went to Palitana.
It was Tough Experience!
Tougher !!
Yes. 3500+ step up hill. No food. Bare foot. Alone. Heavy bag.
I vomited twice. Took me 4 hours up hill. 1 hour down hill.
It is place where Adinath got nirvana.
But overall at the end of story, very good experience.

Half way up the hill, I wanted to give up. I couldn’t sense anything. I slept for 30 minutes. Later gained sense and after that it was good. I reached the main temple. I had bath. It was white dress code a must. They gave clothes. I felt refreshing. And did some observations, walked down hill. Captured a video of my emotions.

Camera was not allowed once u enter the main gate. Anyway I couldn’t capture anything while going up, reaching there itself seemed like a big task. Downhill I was rejoicing, refreshed, tired yet exicted and captured some pics. Though it wasn’t as good as Dilwara, this place is a total different. Kind of pilgrimage. Very peaceful though, nothing like the Hindu shrines. Yet it didn’t carry that magistic ambience that we see at certain places.

Architectural evidence were not significant as well. Everything seemed to be built in the later era of kings n province in India. The main temple however had similar carvings like in all major temples, deity and story telling. Structurally it is similar to Dilwara. Main temple in the centre and others surrounded in blocks. It is like mixture of both experience – Ananth Padmanabha + Dilwara.

There were many temples around 880 so it is more of like you stay in this place for 2-4 days and rejoice the holiness of the place and enjoy peace. While may be I already got my peace climbing uphill and my vision though physically distorted and my head heavy, it was calm n clear on the inside. Hence I didn’t find it uprising or may be it was because I was alone.

Whatever your roots are, whatever your beliefs are whether religious or scientific, whenever you take such endeavours on a path of pilgrimage you surely discover a part of you, you never knew existed. It may seem as a journey to discover the God, to meet Him, but eventually you discover yourself, your true self.

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25 thoughts on “Trip to Palitana – Jain Pilgrim Site”

  1. Hey Bhanu, it was wonderful to read this post. I have stayed for two months in Palitana for my pilgrimage and climbed this mountain twice everyday. From the front and from the back. Making it 108 in total. It was my spiritual break.

    And i must say what you have written in the end that you find a new you is absolutely true. What you went through during the climb was your test. And because you did not give in to limitations, you could reach the top. Even those who are regular climbers have to face such tests. I really appreciate your efforts.

    I love knowing/reading people’s experience with this place. I feel connected to this place.

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    • I checked, consume might mean a little bit on the negative side, as in something I didn’t want it. Also drown too. But it is not something that I don’t want, it is my nature to get sink in, so I will improvise and say, I dive into the depths of ocean to find the pearls and corals 😀

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  3. Nicee! I am a jain, so its nice to hear about people visiting jain pilgrimage sitess, though i haven’t had a chance to visit Palitana! But hopefully visit it in the near future!😃

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  5. I went there as a kid. It was great. It was a trip with family. Amazing experience. I also visited Girnaarji. The first day it was Girnaarji (around 11K steps!) and the next day it was Palitana (3.5K steps). Dude, just IMAGINE!

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    • I experienced even worse, given I was alone. I felt like giving up half way, but somehow my adrenaline kicked. I vomited twice. I was dehydrated. But in the end, I realized something close to blissfulness !

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      • yes true..I had company of two friends and we kept each other alive 😀 I now feel we should been there a month prior..it wud hav been a great experience …but still I think it was all worth!!

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      • Yes, it is always worth it once you reach on the top !

        The last step down the hill, near the temple at the foot hill, I couldn’t lift my leg and I was like, man last time it felt like this was in school when we were punished to do sit up ! 😀

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