The Mountains Of Girnar.

The Gir Mountains are located a few kilometers away from Junagadh, Gujarat. The Gir forest we came across is a part of Gir Mountains. Located atop the mountains is a holy place of worship for the Jain community. The Temples of Girnar. The temples on the mountains are of significant importance to the Jains. The holy idol of Lord Neminath, the 22^nd of the 24 Tirthankaras adds to the beauty of the already magnificently built temples.

     The scriptures of Jainism say that the Girnar Mountains are one of the five peaks of the Shatrunjay Mountains, located 200 kilometers from Girnar. The Mountains are Shaswath (Eternal). They are in existence since one can understand the origin of life form in the universe and will continue to exist till eternity. There are numerous reasons why this place is as holy as it is for the people of Jain community and why this place is a must-go for everybody.

Number one- THE IDOL:

      There are a number of idols of various Tirthankaras in the temples on the Mountains. But the most amazing, most fascinating, most amusing, most soothing is that of Lord Neminath in the main temple. The idol of Lord Neminath has an interesting history. This Idol is the oldest existing in the world. The Jain religion has 24 Tirthankaras in one time period. This time period is too long for anybody to calculate.

     During the time when 3^rd of the 24 Tirthankaras of the previous time period, going by the name Lord Sagar, were in existence. A king came to Lord Sagar and asked when he would attain Moksha (Freedom from countless births), a state of eternal bliss. The Lord enlightened him about how he would be the first disciple of Lord Neminath and then he would attain Moksha. The king experienced eternal happiness. He attained saint hood and began practicing non-violence. After his life ended, he was reborn as a Deus (Dev).  From heaven, he returned to Lord Sagar and inquired as to when he would attain Moksha, again. The answer was the same. He was rejoiced with happiness. He then decided to sculpt an idol of Lord Neminath, the one who would enlighten his path to salvation. There, the idol was sculpted, in heaven. Thus, the idol came into existence. Just imagine, the idol was sculpted zillions of years before you can imagine and it was sculpted not by human beings, but by dues, in heaven. The idol was worshiped in heaven by Deus. After Lord Neminath attained Nirvana, a temple was built on Girnar and this idol was placed there for worship.

     The Idol is unique in its own way. The idol is as beautiful as it can be. Just by looking at the idol, one feels relaxed, free of all sorrows and miseries, and a blissful experience to the mind. The idol has an aura. Aura filled with infinite happiness, complete relaxation, bliss, energy, positivity and what not. As you come in contact with the idol with purity of heart and mind, you will feel energy throughout your body and soul, an energy you have never felt before. An energy that is supernatural. The idol possesses infinite energy which cannot be displayed but can be felt. When you look into the eyes of the idol, it feels like it is talking to you.

     Because it is a unique idol and was sculpted by Deus, this idol cannot be damaged by any kind of weapons. There is a story that once a king was told about how no weapons can destroy this idol. The king wanted to witness this in person. The king himself carried a heavy iron weapon and started attacking the idol. After repeated efforts, there was not even a scratch on the idol. The king got his answer.

Number Two- THE MOUNTAINS:

     The Girnar Mountain is the fifth of the five Mountains of Shatrunjay. As informed earlier, the Girnar Mountains, just like Shatrunjay are in existence since the sun and the moon are and will exist for eternity. They are Shaswath (eternal). This justifies the importance of this Mountain. Infinite number of good souls have visited this mountain and attained salvation. This mountain personifies purity.

     The Girnar temples are located atop the Girnar Mountains, meaning which you get to trek your way up. A great trek for adventure enthusiasts. The journey is a 4000-step journey. As you climb the first step, you will feel a different kind of energy, which is a result of the purity of the Mountain. As the way up is surrounded by the Gir Forests, you can find wildlife around you. Monkeys and dogs are a common sighting. It is a common belief of people that when you trek upwards with pure mind and heart, you climb with you energy. When you feel like you can no longer climb or you don’t have any energy left in your body to make it to the top, the Mountain gives you energy. It may look and sound vague, but this is something you can experience on your own. When I was dead tired halfway to the top, cool breeze started flowing and I could feel rejuvenation. There is definitely something about this Mountain which you can find nowhere else. You will experience no negativity. Only positive thoughts will run through your mind. As you climb upwards, you can witness the city of Girnar unfold. Beautiful scenery and chilled breeze, what else does one need to rejuvenate? As you reach the top, you are greeted by the eye-soothing, the most beautiful and blissful idol of Lord Neminath in the main temple. Tiredness of any kind will evaporate as your eyes witness this pleasing, delightful, magnificent, elegant, divine, charming, exquisite, heavenly idol of Lord Neminath.

The view of the main temple from the temple of Goddess Ambika.

     The main temple, where this heavenly idol resides, is made of black marble. It is a treat witnessing the architecture of the temple. After trekking a little further downwards, there is a small pond, by the name ‘Gajpath Kund’, approximately a meter in length and breadth. It is believed that water from 14000 rivers fills that small pond. The water comes from inside the mountain in a continuous flow and the pond never overflows.

     Trekking back up to the main temple and then a little, we reach the temple of Goddess Ambika, the protector of the Mountains and the Idol. 1500 steps downwards in the opposite direction is a place of significant importance for the Jain community. The place is named ‘Sehsawan’. This is the exact place where some 80000 and odd years back, Lord Neminath renounced all worldly pleasures and accepted sainthood and the 5 great vows along with it. Also, at the very same place, Lord Neminath attained absolute knowledge. Knowledge about the past, present and the future. Only after a Tirthankara attains absolute knowledge, he starts preaching non-violence and other practices. This is because you can only preach when you are confident about the genuineness of a fact. Half truth is also a lie. After he attained Absolute knowledge, he started preaching.

     We come back to the main temple. Another 4000 steps upwards from the main temple, which is also the highest peak of Gujarat State, is the place where Lord Neminath attained Nirvana (death). This is one of the holiest of spots. History of the temples and idols dates back to around 80000 years. Quite interesting and exciting, right? Visiting a place with an interesting history is always fun. Trekking adds to the excitement and adventure. This Mountain is also of great importance to the people of Hindu religion.

Dattatray, the place where Lord Neminath attained Nirvana.

Some Facts about the Mountain, genuineness of which can be ascertained only when you visit the Mountain.

• It is said and believed that this Mountain is a house to infinite number of Aushadhi, or drugs. Drugs varying to different uses and needs. There was once an instance said and believed. A group of boys trekked this Mountain inside the forest to give way to their adrenaline rush. They were hungry and they cut out some branches for preparing food. After eating that food, they had a weird complain. They did not felt hungry for months together. They visited this Mountain again and this time with a person who had knowledge about all these. He gave them the healing drugs and then they were alright.
• It is believed the goddess Ambika visits the temple every fortnight to worship the Lord. Caretakers staying up there in the temple can hear sounds of musical instruments in the night.
• Wild animals can surprise you anytime. There was even news with photo evidence of Lions roaming about on the roads of Girnar in the night.
• The Mountain is a home to a lot of Aghori Babas. Many of them are believed to be more than 100 years old. they have magical and healing powers attained by strict renunciations and tapasya. They live in small caves in the Mountain where they meditate for years together. 
• Stories are heard from many people that somebody always has your back when you are on Girnar. There are stories of people getting lost during the trek. Somebody would appear from nowhere and guide your way till you are back on your track. Once you are on the right way again, they mysteriously disappear. 

          There are a lot more stories about Girnar and its magical powers which you can hear from the locals and regulars on the Mountain. It is a place of great history, a place of adventure, a place of devotion, a place to find peace, a place to connect with the divine, a place to find the true meaning of your life, a place worth visiting.

If you want to know more about this place, you can contact me at sohanjain43@gmail.com