Overview
Palitana is associated with Jain 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.
The Palitana State was a princely state, founded in 1194. It was one of the major states in Saurashtra, covering 777 km2. In 1921 it had 58,000 inhabitants in 91 villages, generating a ₹744,416 revenue.
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.
After the Second Anglo-Maratha War the Palitana Kingdom officially declared independence[5] under Rishi Mallinath Jain and Thakur Sahib Alubhai Singhji although he hardly ruled over a district. With an able and cunning administrator (Rishi Mallinath Jain) he was able to peacefully expand power through bribes and treaties and conquer from the Somnath Mandir to the borders of the Kutch.
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 the 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 rigors 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.
After the Second Anglo-Maratha War the Palitana Kingdom officially declared independence[5] under Rishi Mallinath Jain and Thakur Sahib Alubhai Singhji although he hardly ruled over a district. With an able and cunning administrator (Rishi Mallinath Jain) he was able to peacefully expand power through bribes and treaties and conquer from the Somnath Mandir to the borders of the Kutch.
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 the 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 rigors 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.
