Palitana

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  ?Palitana
Gujarat • India
Map indicating the location of Palitana
Thumbnail map of India with Gujarat highlighted
Location of Palitana
Coordinates: 21°31′N 71°50′E / 21.52, 71.83
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area
• Elevation
• 66 m (217 ft)
District(s) Bhavnagar
Population 51,934 (2001)

Coordinates: 21°31′N 71°50′E / 21.52, 71.83 Palitana pronunciation (help·info) is a city, a municipality and former princely state in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 50 km South-West of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre for Jains.

Contents

[edit] City

The Palitana temples, are considered the most sacred pilgrimage place (tirtha) by the Jain community. There are a more than 1300 temples located on the Shatrunjaya hills, exquisitely carved in marble. The main temple on top of the hill, is dedicated to 1st tirthankar lord Adinath (Rishabdeva).

No one is allowed to sleep overnight including the priest, because the temple city has been built as an abode for the Gods. The town is considered by many Jains to be more important than the temple covered hills of Jharkhand, Mt Abu and Girnar. Palitana was the capital of a princely state of the Gohil Rajput clan. It is also one of the greatest tourist attractions in Gujarat for foreign tourists. Every year millions of people are coming to visit these temples.

There are hundreds of other temples (besides those on the Shatrunjaya hills) and guest houses (dharmashalas) in Palitana city. It is believed that every Jain should visit Palitana at least once in his lifetime to get "Bhavya" status (fit to attain nirvan or salvation).

Aerial View

[edit] Geography

Palitana is located at 21.52° N 71.83° E.[1] It has an average elevation of 67 metres (219 feet). The Palitana temples, are considered the most sacred pilgrimage place tirth by the Jain community. There are a total of 1250 temples located on the Shetrunjaya hills, exquisitely carved in marble. The main temple on top of the hill, is dedicated to 1st tirthankar lord Adinath (Rishabdeva). No one is allowed to sleep overnight including the priest, because the temple city has been built as an abode for the Gods.

  • First Renovation : By Chakravarti Bharat, the son of Bhagawan Adinath.
  • Second Renovation : By the King named Dandavirya.
  • Third Renovation : By Shri Ishaneshvar in the interim period between the times of the first and the second Tirthankaras.
  • Fourth Renovation : By Mahendra of the fourth upper world (dev-loko).
  • Fifth Renovation : By Brahmendra of the fifth upper world.
  • Sixth Renovation : By Chamarendra, Indra of Bhavanapatis.
  • Seventh Renovation : By Sagar Chakravarti, the second Chakravarti of the times of Bhagawan Ajitnath.
  • Eighth Renovation : By Vyantarendra in the times of Abhinandan Swami.
  • Ninth Renovation : By King Chandrayasha in the times of Chandraprabh Swami
  • Tenth Renovation : By Chakradhar, the son of Bhagawan Shantinath in the times of Bhagawan Shantinath.
  • Eleventh Renovation : By Ramchandraji and Lakshamanji in the times of Munisuvrat Swami.
  • Twelfth Renovation : By the five Pandavas in the times of Bhagawan Neminathji.
  • Thirteenth Renovation : By Sheth Javed Shah of Mahuva in the year 108 of the Vikram era. He spent a million gold mohurs. In exuberance of joy, he died and was re-born in the fourth upper world (dev-loke).
  • Fourteenth Renovation : By the advisor Bahud in the times of Kumarpal in the year 1213 of the Vikram era.
  • Fifteenth Renovation : By Shri Samara Shah in the year 1371 of the Vikram era.
  • Sixteenth Renovation : By Shri Karama Shah of Chitod on the auspicious sixth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh in the year 1587 of the Vikram era.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[2] Palitana had a population of 60,934. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Palitana has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 57%. In Palitana, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Getting there

  • By Air

Bhavnagar, the nearest airport lies at a distance of 51 kilometer from Palitana, but it is only connected to Mumbai. For people coming from other places, a more convenient airport would be Ahmedabad which has an international airport or Vadodara a.k.a Baroda as it is connected through regular flights to many important cities of the country like Mumbai and Delhi.

  • By Rail: Palitana is a small railway station and has connection only with Bhavnagar. Best way is to take a train to bhavnagar and go by road to palitana using local transport. The railway station at Palitana is improving and it is going to soon have direct trains from Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
  • By Road: There are busses for Bhavnagar from Palitana. Regular buses are also available from Ahmedabad, Talaja, Una, and Diu. Taxis are also available on hire for Palitana from Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad or Vadodra. The bus stand is situated 800 meters away from the Palitana railway station. Since Palitana is an important destination for a lot of people who follow Jainism, and the fact that there are a lot of people in Mumbai (Bombay ), there are buses that run daily between Mumbai and Palitana.

[edit] History

As a "Second Class" princely state, founded in 1194 (one of the major states in Saurashtra, where there were many smaller states), Palitana covered 777 km² and had 58,000 inhabitants (in 1921) in 91 villages, generating a 744,416 Rs revenue.

It used to be a native state of India in the Kathiawar agency of the Bombay presidency. Area, 289 sq. m.; pop. (1901), 52,856, showing a decrease of 15% in the decade. The chief was a Gohel Rajput, with the title of Thakur Sahib. Gross revenue, £42,000; tribute jointly to the Gaekwar of Baroda and the Nawab of Junagadh, £700. The capital of the state is Palitana; pop. 12,800. It was ruled by a Thakore sahib (also spelled Thakur Saheb), enjoying a 9-guns salute, of the Hindu Gohil dynasty, which received a privy purse of 180,000 Rupees at the state's accession to independent India on 15th February 1948.

[edit] Sources, references & external links

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Palitana
  2. ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.