For a devout Jain, the visit to a prominent pilgrimage spot like Girnar parvat would be filled with various activities towards doing pooja of the main idol. And especially here, Neminath’s idol at this temple is said to be timeless, and to have been brought down here from heaven. The eulogies go on and on, and naturally it would evoke a deep sense of devotion for a lot of the Jain devotees. There is a huge line and demand for doing the pooja directly to this idol. And so most devotees spend 80% of their time in the temple towards doing the pooja – having bath, procuring the flowers etc etc… In this blog, however, I am advocating exploration of some other lesser known shrines on this mountain. Maybe because pooja timings are over or because you aren’t prepared for doing pooja or whatever other reason may be there, if you find yourself free to explore a little….

And you don’t need to stick to this list… I fully recommend exploring nooks and crannies of these ancient temples and finding spots that resonate most with you. Share with me any interesting finds 🙂

Amijhara Parshwanath

When I was strolling in the Girnar Jain temple (because I usually don’t do the traditional Jain pooja), I found this idol and shrine very intriguing. It is located in a small alcove kind of underground, and when I went there, only a couple of other devotees were seated doing some rituals. I descended the tiny staircase into the alcove and was observing the idol in wonder, when a large group descended down and soon the little room was packed. With some difficulty I was able to ascend back up before claustrophobia struck.

I was surprised with the crowds because the rest of the shrines in the temple apart from the main Neminath shrine were hardly crowded. I guessed this Amijhara Parshwanath shrine must have some miracles associated with it.

Vastupal Tejpal Temples

The Delwada temples of Abu are famous beyond just Jain folks. Two brothers, Vastupal and Tejpal, were instrumental in building that temple in the 13th century. Thus, I feel we can go and see the only other temple built by these two brothers that is still standing in Girnar mountains.

Online pics of these do seem intriguing!

Rajul Cave & Rahnemi

I am always attentive to shrines and places for women in Jainism. Since, women are allocated inferior status in Jainism, “they cannot get enlightened”, says the current traditional understanding of the religion. So, I find it interesting that Rajulmati, the fiance of Neminath bhagwan finds some mentions in the shrines of Girnar. As I mentioned, in my previous blog about Neminath’s deep footprint on Girnar, Rajulamati’s soul had been married to Neminath for the previous 8 births. It was in this 9th birth that Neminath didn’t go ahead with the engagement and took diksha instead to become a tirthankar. While Rajulmati got ordained as a nun under him.

She is considered to have got Nirvana in a few years, before Neminath took nirvana in fact. So, what happened to “women can’t get enlightened”? Anyway, there is a cave called Rajul’s cave. However, is this the cave she meditated a lot in? Or is this the one she was stuck with Rahnemi during the rains?

There is another story, where she ends up being stuck in heavy rains in a cave with another monk Rahnemi. Rahnemi was Neminath’s younger brother who wanted to marry her after Neminath left for diksha. She made him see his folly at that time, after which he also got ordained under Neminath. So, in this cave, Rahnemi makes advances on her, but she manages to show him the right way of vairagya and liberation. If this is that cave, then I wonder, why should we folks visit it? It seems more a reminder for other monks and nuns to remember, that their vows are only as strong as their commitment to their path.

Maybe we can also take the inspiration and learning of keeping to the path of vairagya and liberation.

Eventually, Rahnemi also gets enlightened (as do large numbers of monks under the live tirthankar). There is also a Rahnemi temple on Girnar I read online. Plus, Rajulmati’s and Rahnemi’s padukas (footprint shrines) are found in the Sehsavan area as well.

I do find it a bit intriguing why Rahnemi is being eulogized so much. Surely, a lot of Neminath monks would have gotten enlightened, how come their stories are not eulogized as much?

Sahsavan temple cave & ancient idol

The Sahasavan temple has a small cave-like place to meditate, do japa and so on. And there is an idol of Neminath that is said to have been consecrated when Neminath was alive. However, since the Sehsavan temple is relatively new, the exact stories of these two places are not that well known.

There is also a very lovely little temple at the kevalygyan spot a little distance from the Sehsavan samovasran temple, which I really liked.

Don’t skip the Sehsavan pilgrimage, as the ropeway doesn’t come this way, because apart from the two major kalyanak spots – diksha and kevalgyan of Neminath. The fact is that this pilgrimage route is fantastic with awesome pristine views of the jungle all around. Read my blog on the Girnar ropeway details and suggested route for Jain Pilgrimage.

I am sure there is lots more to explore of the Jain temples on this mountain. And then of course, there are the Hindu spaces also. I personally don’t ascribe specific religion to these places, just that each community has their rules to adhere which we should respect when visiting. I consider it as a sacred mountain with so many yogis and great beings having spent time there, so we as pilgrims can soak in their vibes 🙂

Useful Travel Information to Plan Your Girnar Trip

How to get there,
Closest Airport: Rajkot airport. Take a private taxi or plan for bus/train to Junagadh
Closest Railway Station: Take a train to Rajkot or directly to Junagadh. Here is a list of trains that go to Junagadh station.
Closest Bus Station: You can take a private or GSRTC bus from Rajkot or any other nearby cities to Jungadh. Tickets cost from 150 INR to 1500 INR

Best mode of transport: Rent a self-drive car from Rajkot

When to visit,
Best day of week: Weekdays will be less crowded than weekends. Also, check for any festivals or events though this is difficult as a lot of different communities mingle at Girnar. So, one can’t anticipate exactly the crowd situation. That is why it may be better to book your stay, transport etc.. a bit in advance.
Best time of day: Early mornings would have lesser crowd

Stay @ Dharamshalas nearer to Girnar, however, they cater to different communities often, so unless you have prebooked getting accommodation may be tough. Other option is taking hotels in Junagadh like Bellevue Sarovar which looks quite good in pics, but I would suggest staying in Girnar taleti if possible for a closer experience.

Eat @ Girnar taleti has a few dhabba style restaurants to eat at. Otherwise, the dharamshalas will have their bhojnalayas. Don’t expect anything fancy. Junagadh has some good restaurants like Honest chain.