{"id":29524,"date":"2015-12-22T19:00:07","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T18:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/no-problem-mam.com\/?p=29524"},"modified":"2020-09-21T08:03:21","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T06:03:21","slug":"mount-girnar-gujarat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/mount-girnar-gujarat\/","title":{"rendered":"Mount Girnar, the sacred mountain of Gujarat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"coeur\"<\/a> Mount Girnar is an undisputed must-see while you’re in Gujarat. Climbing the 9999 steps to its summit leaves an imperishable memory. The atmosphere is serene and friendly and the views are breathtaking.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The Dattatraya peak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mount Girnar (Mount Neminath for the Jains) is in fact a cluster of hills and peaks about 4km from the town of Junagadh. Its summit, at 1118m, is the highest point in Gujarat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girnar is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Jains alike, with temples of both religions<\/a>.There are hermitages and ashrams dotted all around the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Pradakshina or circumambulation of the hill is held annually; it is considered a very holy ritual, like those at Mount Govardhan <\/a><\/strong>near Mathura and Arunachala<\/a><\/strong> in Tamil Nadu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bavnath temple at the foot of the hill is very old, and is famous for its Mahashivaratri<\/strong> <\/a>festival when hundreds of naked Naga Sadhus gather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The pilgrimage<\/strong> of the Mount Girnar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Damodar temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ascent starts at the Damodar Kund at Damodar temple (a kund<\/em> is a bathing tank). <\/strong>It is best to start early, around 5am, to avoid the scorching afternoon heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way you walk past the Bhavnath temple to Shiva, famous for its Mahashivaratri festival (see below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first steps start after this gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The steps begin after you have passed a porch and several small temples.<\/strong> You are walking by the light of your torch when the first glow of dawn appears and reveals the undulating outline of the hills. You climb. And you climb. 1000, 2000, 3000 \u2026 4000 steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Group of 12th-16th-century Jain temples<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the 4000th step<\/strong> you reach a plateau with a number of very lovely 12th-16th-century Jain temples<\/strong>. The most famous is the 12th-century Neminath Temple. It is said that the 22nd Tirthankar<\/em> (Jain saint) attained Moksha (freedom the cycle of death and\u00a0rebirth) there after 700 years of meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amba Mata<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the 6000th step, you see the Amba Mata Hindu temple.<\/strong> In fact both Hindus and Jains visit this temple, and newly-weds come here to have their union blessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The highest peak, Gorakhnath<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another 2000 steps take you to the highest peak, Gorakhnath.<\/strong> It is said that the footprints of the saint Gorakhnathji are imprinted here. Here you recover your breath and gaze in admiration at the panoramic view. With your legs beginning to show signs of fatigue, you still have to go down 1000 steps and, worst of all, up the final 999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After Gorakhnath, you still have to go down 1000 steps and, worst of all, up the final 999.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After three hours of effort you reach your destination at last. There, perched on the Dattatraya peak,<\/strong> you find a small temple with the padukas<\/em> (sacred sandals) of Dattatraya, considered to be an avatar (incarnation) of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Naga saddhu on the way to the Dattatraya peak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A quick darshan<\/em> of the temple (darshan: <\/em>beholding of a saint or holy object) and then it’s off back the way you came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect to take at least six hours to complete this pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dattatraya temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[ Watch my Girnar Pilgrimage! \ud83d\ude42 ]<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n