The Girnar ropeway takes pilgrims from the bottom of the hill right up to the Amba temple within 10 minutes. Starting from 7 AM till 5 PM, devotees can spend 630 INR for a two-way ride (350 INR for kids) and avoid a steep 3000 step climb up and down this holy mountain.

Here are various details of this ropeway – ticket prices, booking site, what it means for all devotees including Jains.

Q: What are the ticket prices of the Girnar Ropeway?

According to the online website UdanKhatola.com, the ticket price for the two-way Girnar Ropeway is 630 rupees per person. However, my relatives mentioned 400 INR, so maybe some offers were available offline when they went. OR it may be the one way price. One-way tickets are also available as per the booking website, but no price is shown on the website.

Q: Do we have to climb steps to take the ropeway? Where can we take the Girnar ropeway?

There isn’t any significant climbing required to take the ropeway at the foot of the Girnar mountain. You can ask anyone once you reach the Girnar taleti or base area with all the temples – anyone will guide you to the ropeway station.

This is the map location

Q: How many steps are there after the ropeway drops us near Amba temple?

The Amba mandir is located just few minutes walking after the ropeway. However, the main Jain temples are about 1000 steps below. The Sehsavan Jain temple is on a different route, and you need to descend quite a bit to reach there.
If you want to visit Dattatreya temple or Neminath enlightenment spot after the Amba temple, it will take about 7000 steps upwards. Though all of it is not a steep upwards climb. I am told it flattens up for quite a bit of the way.

Q: Where to book online? Is there a contact number?

Online booking can be done via udankhatola.com. Offline booking is also possible. However, planning ahead and checking online availability is recommended, especially since important slots would get booked quickly. I suspect for a lot of people the early slot from 7 – 8 AM would be the most desirable, in which case, better to book online.

Udan Khatola has a toll free number, you can check if they can help with your query: 1800-202-4050 This mobile number is listed on their Google maps listing for the ropeway, so you can try this also: +91 99099 25070

Q: What are the Girnar Ropeway timings?

The Girnar Ropeway operates from 7am till sunset, with departures every few minutes. Online booking slots are available every hour. The duration of one journey from the foot of the mountain to the Amba temple takes about 10 minutes.

Q: Is this ropeway useful for the Jain pilgrims as well?

There are two Jain temple complexes on the Girnar mountain. The larger temple complex is located a little below the Amba mata shaktipeeth temple, close to where the ropeway drops you. So, the ropeway is useful for Jains also. It takes about a 10-15 minute descent from the ropeway drop to reach the larger set of Jain temples.

Good Yatra Route Options for Jain Pilgrims with Girnar Ropeway

First option:
Take the ropeway up the mountain till Amba mata temple and then visit the large Jain temple complex a few minutes below. Then again climb up only a few steps and then go down from Sehsavan route, visit those temples and Neminath diksha and kevalgyaan spots. That way we have also done at least half the pilgrimage walking.

Second option:
There is always the option of doing the pilgrimage walking as pilgrims have done when the ropeway wasn’t there. Typically, for Jains it is suggested to climb up via new route (also taken by ropeway) and climb down via Sehsavan (as it is quite steep). I have written more about this in this blog post.

Third route option:
Take the ropeway up to the Amba temple. Then climb further till Neminath enlightenment spot. Hindu Dattatreya spot is also here. Then climb down, visit Amba temple, Jain temples. Continue downwards via the Sehsavan route to cover those spots as well.

There is some Hindu-Jain conflict situation on the Girnar mountain. So, some of my relatives tell me that Jains avoid going above Amba temple. (Many Jains won’t even go to Amba temple). But when I visited, I did meet a lanky Jain youth who frequented the Neminath enlightenment spot often. And he encouraged me to travel freely. Nothing to worry, he said. I like this fellow’s suggestion. 🙂

Also, read my blog post about finding an Aghori Jhuggi at the Girnar taleti.

Q How to Visit Dattatreya Peak (also Neminath Enlightenment Spot) After Taking Ropeway

The ropeway will drop you near the Amba temple. Take darshan of Amba maa, maybe she will give you wings to climb rest of the mountain effortlessly 😉 The ropeway takes devotees to little more than 3000 steps. After that, rest 7000 steps are to be walked to reach Dattatreya peak. I am told that a lot of this path is straight walk… so we can do it well in time.

However, the Sehsavan temples are on a different route altogether where the ropeway does not go. But still, by using the ropeway, Jains can skip the upwards climb if they so wish, this saves time and energy to do the descent and visit all the Jain temples on the way properly.

Now that the ropeway is here, this route is probably a lot more travelled by devotees, so sadly, the days when this route was only for the hardy and serious pilgrims is most likely over. Let me know if you walked this route recently. Would love to explore and see how this walk is.

Asia’s Longest: at 2126.4 metres, this is the longest ropeway in Asia… and technologically advanced work.

Useful Travel Information to Plan Your Girnar Trip

Stay @ You can get good hotels with all facilities in Junagadh town. Or you can opt for a more spiritual experience with dharamshalas or simpler stays near Girnar taleti. However, dharamshalas often cater to different communities, so unless you have prebooked getting accommodation may be tough. In Junagadh, I would recommend hotels like Bellevue Sarovar for a more relaxed and luxurious stay (search here). For a simpler and more spiritual support, I would suggest staying in Girnar taleti if possible for a closer experience.

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

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.