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

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

DINESH VORA

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

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[2]

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

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[3]
PALITANA IS A CITY IN BHAVANGAR DISTRICT OF STATE OF GUJARAT,
IN INDIA. IT IS SITUATED ABOUT FIFTY KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST
OF BHAVNAGAR CITY. .

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[4]

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

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[5]

ON TOP OF THE SHATRUNJAYA HILL IS A CLUSTER OF JAIN TEMPLES BUILT OVER SOME 900 YEARS BY GENERATIONS OF JAINS STARTING FROM 11TH

CENTURY

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[6]

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

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[7]

THE TEMPLES ARE EXQUISITELY CARVED IN MARBLE RESEMBLING IVORY IN LOOK. THE LEADING TEMPLE IS OF LORD ADISHWAR.

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[8]
THIS TEMPLE HAS A FABULOUS COLLECTION OF EXPENSIVE JEWELS DEDICATED BY RICH JAIN PATRONS.

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[9]

THE TEMPLES DATE FROM 11th TO THE 20th CENTURY

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[10]

THE DAY OF THE FAGUN SUD 13th FALLING SOMEWHERE IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH IS THE MOST VISITED AND CROWDED DAY

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

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[12]

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

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[13]
THE CLIMB MUST BEGIN IN EARLY MORNING AND RETURN DESCENT MUST BE COMPLETED IN EVENING. NO STAYING OVERNIGHT

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[14]

SOME FACTS ABOUT PALITANA.

SHETRUNJAY TEMPLES; STEPS TO CLIMB: 3364

HEIGHT: 2000 FEET. WALKING: 7.5 MILES.

PRATIMA OR IDOLS ARE 27007 IN JINMANDIR OR TEMPLES TOTALLING 3507

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

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[16]

OVERNIGHT STAY IS FORBIDDEN FOR ALL HUMANS AS IT IS PEACEFUL RESTING PLACE FOR GODS

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[17]

THERE ARE TWO SUMMITS WITH 900 TEMPLES WITH EXTRAORDINARY ART AND SCULPTURE

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[18]

SAMAVASHARANA TEMPLE IN PALITANA VALLEY

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[19]
THE PALITANA IS ALSO KNOWN AS SIDDHAKSHETRA A PLACE
FROM WHERE A SOUL GETS NIRVANA

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[20]

CARVING IN LIMESTONES IN NEMINATH TEMPLE, SHATRUNJAY HILLS, PALITANA

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

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[22]
EVERY SHRINE HAS IDOLS OF LORD TIRTHANAKARS ADORNED WITH PRECIOUS JEWELLED EYES

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

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

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[25]
TIRTHANAKR SUMATINATH, MULNAYAK SANCHA SUMATINATH TEMPLE, TALHETI, PALTANA

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[26]
SRI ADINATHA RISHABHA DEVA THE FIRST LORD TIRTHANKARA, HAS THE PRIMARY IDOL IN THIS AGAM MANDIR IN PALITANA TALHETI

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[27]

BRILLIANT IDOL OF FIRST TIRTHANKAR LORD RISHABHADEVA ALSO KNOWN AS LORD ADINAATHA