Travel » Girnar Tourism

GIRNAR
Junagadh on way to Jamnagar from Sasan Gir. Architectural ruins lay scattered—maqbaras, forts, palaces, mostly overgrown with vegetation, their once-beautiful gardens now sick and unkempt. The streets were noisy, narrow and winding, along which huge Ford and Dodge taxies of 1940s vintage, hurtled by. A profusion of shops and commercial establishments strengthened the impression of a thriving business community. The gateway to the town itself is a remarkable piece of architecture and still in a good state of maintenance.

The Circuit House, probably the best and neatest place, was full on account of an official conference. Most of the other lodges were in the crowded part of the town and we didn’t relish staying there after the peace and quiet of Gir. Besides, very few lodges were geared to the tourist trade, and fewer still had car-parking facilities. Finally, it was the manager of the Circuit House who arranged our stay in a small lodge run by the Sodiya Vadi Temple Guest House. The dilapi dated building stood in a spacious compound with plenty of parking space. The rooms, though not neat, were comfortable and the clouds of mosquitoes could be kept at bay with the continuous use of Good Knight mats.

That evening we went around the ancient town of Junagadh. Archaeological finds indicate that its history dates back to pre-Harappan times. The main points of interest are the old fort built in the ninth century by the Chudasama Rajputs, the Sakkar Baug zoo, the Junagadh Museum, the mausoleums of the Nawabs and their relatives, the rock edicts of Emperor Asoka dating back to 250 BC and , of course, the temples on Mount Girnar, the highest mountain of Saurashtra, which looms over the city.

We went first to the fort. Its walls, over 60 ft high in some places, were surrounded by scrub so that at certain points the fort couldn’t be seen. We were able to take in the ruins of the intricately fashioned structures; the Rajput Palace; the Jama Masjid built out of a demolished temple; the stepwells from which slaves used to fetch water; the ancient Buddhist caves dating back well over a 1,000 years with their exquisite spiral stairways and carved pillars; and a huge Egyptian cannon which goes back to the 16th century. It is a sobering reflection that these abandoned and overgrown ruins were once scenes of bustling activity—though it’s possible that this fort has had a ruined look for a long time. For according to some, the name Junagadh is a corruption of jirnakot, which means ‘fort in ruins’.

Next we went to the Sakkar Baugh zoo. Well laid out, it attracts a good many visitors. Attached to the zoo is a lion-breeding center, the only one of its kind in India, where captive lions are bred. According to the statistics, 180 lions have been successfully bred here, out of which 126 have been supplied to zoos in India and abroad. Aside from ensuring a supply of Asiatic lions to zoos all over the world, this program also acts as a much-needed safeguard against the sudden extinction of the panthera leo persica. Within the zoo compound, there is an interesting museum with a collection of exhibits from junagadh’s regal past. Another museum worth a visit is the Durbar Hall museum which has an elaborate array of exhibits. Unfortunately, all museum exhibits are described in Gujarati and therefore their significance is lost on the non-Gujarati visitor. Needless to add, the museum staff don’t speak English and generally convey the impression of being bored to death.

We also looked at the beautiful maqbara of the Nawabs and their relatives built in the 19th century, their minarets encircled by enchan tingly designed spiral staircases.

Girnar climb by at least 4.30 am since, it would take us full three hours to reach the top in time to see the sunrise. It was less than 4 krn from our lodge to Girnar Taleti, the gateway from where the ascent begins. The Girnar range of hills is apparently mentioned in the Skandapurana and Vishnupurana and was known in ancient times as Revtachal or Ujjayanta. Its five main peaks are named Ambaji, Gorakh, Oghad, Dattatrey and Kalika. Of these, Gorakhnath is the highest at 3,666 ft. The range of hills is spread over an area of more than 200 sq km.

On the way to Girnar, protected within a building, is a huge roadside boulder, which bears the ancient inscriptions of Emperor Asoka. Asoka’s 14 edicts are in the Pali script. Their general tenor is one of puritanical fervour. For instance, This is the edict of Raja Priyadarsi, devanam priyah, beloved of the gods: the putting to death of animals is to be entirely discontinued...and goes on in this vein almost till the end when he says: A man must honor his own faith without blaming that of another, so that little that is wrong will occur...Later inscriptions in Sanskrit also can be seen, one made during the time of Rudradama in 170 AD and another in the middle of the 5th century in the reign of Skandagupta, the last of the Guptas.

Gorakhnath Tung and Guru Datta tray Tung are the two peaks one can visit from the temple of Ambaji. Overlooking the valley on the eastern side is a dangerous rock called Bhairav Jap. In the olden days, this was a favorite suicide point for the superstitious, for it was believed that jumping off this rock would ensure your prosperity in the next birth. Here the wind is very strong and even today it’s a tricky place for all but the most sure-footed.

The Jain temples we had seen were around 500 ft below the peak, at an altitude of around 2,800 ft. They formed a sort of bastion of gray stone and marble. Some of them looked relatively modem, but on the whole, antiquity seemed to be stamped on them.

The largest and oldest of the temples is dedicated to Neminatha, the twenty second Thirthankara of the Jains. Inscriptions say that it was repaired in 1278 AD, which means that it must be considerably older. The temple stands in a quadrangle and carries within it a large black stone image of Neminatha.

Next is Vastupala Tejapala’s triple temple with finely carved domes and a shrine dedicated to Mallinatha, the 19th Thirthankara of the Jains. Inscriptions indicate that this richly ornamented edifice was built in 1177 AD. These dates of building and repairing and re-building tell the story of an insidious form of vandalism practised in our country for hundreds of years. Scholars believe that ancient structures were pulled down and the material used to construct new temples. To this day we can see, as evidence of this process, beautifully carved rocks in the walls of some of these temples. Nearby is a temple of Samprati Raja, believed to have been the grandson of Emperor Asoka.

Prior to our descent, we spent a long time in and around the temple complex, savoring the beauty of the living stone, feeling humble in the presence of this grand affirmation of the human spirit.

How and Where
The nearest airport is at Keshod, 47 km from Junagadh. Gujarat Airways operates flights from Mumbai to Keshod on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But flight availability must be confirmed before making plans. Also, daily flights operate between Mumbai and Rajkot (90 km from Junagadh). Frequent buses ply between Rajkot and Junagadh. Ahmedabad is 330 km from Junagadh.

By rail the Gimar Express and Somnath Mail from Ahmedabad to Veraval pass through Junagadh. The Girnar Express departs from Ahmedabad at 2100 hours and arrives at Junagadh at 0610 hours; the Somnath Mail leaves at 2300 hours and touches Junagadh at 0830 hours. In the opposite direction, the Girnar Express leaves Junagadh at 2100 hours and arrrives at Ahmedabad at 0610 hours; the Somnath Mail from Junagadh leaves at 1900 hours and arrives in Ahmedabad at 0420 hours.

Accommodation is provided in Junagadh by over a dozen hotels that vary little in the facilities offered. The tariff ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 500 per day for a double room. The best place is the Government Circuit House (tel 0285 627116). Some of the other good lodges are, Hotel Paramount (tel 623983) at Kalwa Chowk near the railway station; Hotel Girnar (tel 621201) run by the Gujarat Tourism department; Hotel Relief (tel 620280) on the road to the fort; and Hotel National (tel 627891). The Junagadh railway station has retiring rooms. Good vegetarian food can be had from restaurants Swagat, Sagar, Swati and Santoor.

The zoo is open from 9 am to 6 pm every day except Wednesdays. The museums likewise are closed on Wednesdays. The Gimar climb is best accomplished early in the morning and will take three to four hours each way. Buses to Girnar Taleti leave from the stand near the post office 6 am onwards. Those who do not want to climb the steps can go up most of the way in a doli, but the charges’are exorbitant.

Information regarding Junagadh and Girnar is very difficult to come by in Junagadh. All my attempts to find out something about the temples were in vain. Junagadh is less than 60 km from Gir National Park, the only remaining home of the Asiatic lion. There are frequent buses from Junagadh to Sasan Gir. There is also a passenger train which leaves Junagadh station at 0615 hours and reaches Sasan in two and a half hours.

Summers can be hot in Junagadh, but winters are pleasantly cold. In winter, light woollens should suffice.