Girnar Jain Temples

A cluster of temples on Girnar hill, associated with the liberation of Neminatha, the twenty-second Tirthankara.

A cluster of temples high on Girnar hill outside Junagadh, the oldest dating from the twelfth century. The site is associated with Neminatha, the twenty-second Tirthankara, who is held to have renounced the world, attained omniscience and been liberated here.

The hill is sacred to more than one tradition, and the Jain temples share it with Hindu shrines further up — an ordinary arrangement in Gujarat, and a useful corrective to the idea that these sites stood apart.

Worth knowing

• The climb is several thousand steps and takes most of a morning.

For opening times and access, check the temple's own announcements — they change, and we would rather list nothing than send you to a closed door.

Written for Jain Times. Corrections are welcome — see sources and licences.