Girnar Tirth

Girnar Tirth Introduction

• Girnar, also known as Girinagar (‘city-on-the-hill’) or RevatakParvata, is a group of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India.
• The Girnar mountain ranges are considered to be sacred.
• It is an important pilgrimage site for both Jains and Hindus, who gather here during the Girnar Parikrama festival.
• Girnar is one of the five major ‘tirthas’ attributed to the ‘panchkalyanakas’ of various ‘Jain tirthankaras’.

Girnar Tirth History

• The mountain Girnar is older than the Himalayas and the Jain temples upon it are amongst the most ancient in the country.
• It is the Nirvan bhumi of 22nd Tirthankara Neminath.
• It is 3666 feet high, and is one of the most remarkable mountains in India.
• From the city of Junagarh, which is at an altitude of barely 351 feet only the top of Mount Girnar can be seen, as it has in front of it lower hills, of which Jogniya, or Laso Pawadi, 2527 feet; Lakhshman Tekri, Bensla, 2290 feet high; and Datar, 2779 feet high, are the principals.

Girnar Tirth Geography

• Mount Girnar is a major igneous plutonic complex which intruded into the basalts towards the close of the Deccan Trap period.
• The rock types identified in this complex are gabbros (tholeiitic and alkalic), diorites, lamprophyres, alkali-syenites and rhyolites.
• The parent gabbroic magma is shown to have given rise in sequence to diorites, lamprophyres and alkali-syenites.
• The rhyolite, though earlier considered a product of differentiation, is now believed to be an independent magma without any genetic link with the gabbro and its variants.

Girnar Tirth Tourist Attraction

Girnar is well connected by road, and has plenty of buses which ply regularly from Ahmedabad and other major towns and cities in the state. Ahmedabad is at a distance of approximately 400 km and Rajkot is at a distance of 92 km from here.

Five Peaks:- There are 5 tonks on the Girnar hill.

First Peak: After a climb of about 2 miles, there is a Digambar Jain temple and a cave called Rajulmati cave, it is stated that Rajulmati has done penance at this place. There is also a small temple where idol of Bahubali (120 cm) in standing posture is installed. Besides there are footprints of Kundkund. In the temple, the idol of Neminath (Vikram Samvat 1924) is on the main altar. The idols of Parshwanath and Neminath are also there. There is stream called gomukhi ganga and nearby the footprints of 24 tirthanakaras are available.

Second Peak: After 900 steps there are the footprints of Muni Anirudhhkumar and temple of Devi Ambika.

Third Peak: here the footprints of Muni Sambukkumar are installed. Muni has attained nirvana from this place.

Fourth Peak: Here the footprints of Pradhyman kumar, son of lord krishna are installed here. He attained nirvana fr om this place.

Fifth tonk: The Fifth tonk is of Lord Neminath’s footprints. Lord Neminath, the 22nd tirthankar got moksha from this site

Girnar Tirth Culture

Beliefs
Every devout Jain aspires to climb to the top of the mountain at least once in his lifetime because of its sanctity to attain nirvana. The code for the climbers is stringent, in keeping with the rigours 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. The Shatrunjaya hills are considered by many Jains to be more important than the temple-covered hills of Jharkhand, Mount Abu and Girnar.

Festivals
On one special day (Fagun Sud 13), which commonly falls in February/March, thousands of Jain followers visit the temple complex to attain salvation. Three times as many pilgrims come at this time, which is also called “6 Gaon”. The special festival day is the “Chha Gau Teerth Yatra” at the temple complex held on Purnima day (Full Moon Day) of Kartika month according to the Jain calendar, Vira Nirvana Samvat (October–November as per the Gregorian Calendar). Jains, in very large numbers assemble on this day at the temple complex on the hills as it opens after 4 months of closure during the monsoon season. During this pilgrimage, considered a great event in the lifetime of devout Jain, pilgrims circumambulate the Shatunitjaya Hills covering a distance of 21.6 km on foot to offer prayers to Lord Adinatha on the Kartik Poornima Day at the top of the hill.

Mahavir Jayanti, the birthday of Mahāvīra, is a notable festival celebrated at the temple complex. A procession carrying images of the tirthankara is made in huge decorated chariots, concurrently accompanied by religious ceremonies in the temples. Rituals include fasting and giving alms to the poor.

Transportation:-

By Air:

The Nearest airport is at Keshod situated at a distance of 40 km and Porbander at a distance of 113 km. The nearest International airport is in Ahmedabad.

By Rail:

Nearest railway station is 5km from Junagadh.

By road:

State transport buses, private transport are available. It is located at a distance of 5 km from Junagadh and about 400 km south west of Ahmedabad.