Palitana temple is the most famous pilgrimage place for Jain.

There are more than 1200 temples located on the shetrunjaya hills The main temple at the top of the hill is dedicated to the first tirthankar Lord Adinath. There are hundreds of other temples on the shetrunjaya hills. All temples are carved in marble.

The sculptures that adorn the marble temples present a feast to the eyes. You need not be a Jain to admire the spectacle. Generations of Jams all over the country have contributed their mite to make Shatrunjay Hill what it is today. It is said all the Jain Tirthankars, excepting Neminath, had attained nirvan on Shatrunjay Hill. This fact adds to the veneration the devout have for the place. The place is therefore called Siddhakshetra where one attains moksh.

The mountain is associated with Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankar who is also known as Adinath. The main temple at the top contains his idol in padmasan. He belonged to the Ikshvaku Dynasty of Ayodhya. So Rama was his ancestor. Adinath visited the Shatrunjay Hill 93 times.

The temple chain starts with the shrine constructed by Babu Dhanpatsinh of Murshidabad at the foot of the hill. The pilgrims have to ascend 3745 steps to reach the 1800 feet hill. It takes between one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours to reach the summit. The steps were hewn out of the rock in the 13th century CE during the time of Jain minister Vastupal. The visitors cannot take any eatable on way to it. They can, however, drink water and water posts are provided all along the route. They have the footprints of Tirthankars. They can eat only after coming down the hill. Every shrine has idols of Tirthankars adorned with jeweled eyes. 

Pilgrims make their offerings at the main temple containing the Adinath idol. The temple has been renovated and rebuilt several times since its inception. A Jain merchant Javad Shah renovated the shrine in Vikram Samvat 1018 forthe 13th time.

Originally the temple was built of wood and Siddhraj Jaisimha's minister Udaymehta got it built in marble at the fabulous cost of Rs. 2.97 crores. Siddhraj's descendant Kumarpal extended the temple.

The present temple was constructed in 1618 CE. The Adinath temple is situated on DadaniTuk. There are nine tuks all along the route containing shrines. 

The most famous temples are those of Adinath, Kumarpal, Vimalshah, Samprati Raja and the Chomukh which is the highest. Besides there are temples dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses like Saraswati, Shivji, Hanumanji, etc. The Saraswati temple is near the footof the hill. Angar Pir's shrine is situated at the top of the hill. Barren women pray for children at the Muslim saint's shrine.

It is believed that every Jain should visit Palitana at least once in his lifetime to get "Bhavya" status. From the base to the peak of the Shatrunjaya Hill, where the Palitana temples are located, there are, in all, 863 temples. Sunrise behind the temples is a great sight. One can enjoy views from the summit of the hills and the river Shetrunjaya.

The mount Shatrunjaya lies hardly a kilometer away from the town, the way, which is now thronged on both the sides by sarais and minor temples, including Kala Bhandars (museums). The mountain is associated with Rishabhdev, the first tirthankar, also known as Adinath. It is believed that all the tirthankars, except Neminath, attained nirvan here.

Among the most important temple here is the Chaumukh temple.

The Adiswara temple is probably the most profusely decorated in Palitana, its ornate pillars and roofs decorated with intricately cut marble in the shape of dragons. Other temples worth architectural mention are the Sampriti Raja and Kumarpal.

How To Reach

Air

Nearest Airport is Bhavnagar (36 Kms.) 

Rail

Nearest Station is Palitana (5 Kms.)

Bhavnagar (36 Kms.), Ahmedabad (203 Kms.)