Tirth Yatra- GIRNARJI JAIN TEMPLES

TEMPLES IN MT. GIRNAR

GIRNAR PIC Gujrat - Junagarh

Junagadh, an ancient city, is situated in erstwhile Saurashtra, at the foot of Mount Girnar on the northern fringes of the Gir forest . Through various phases of history, Junagadh is described with equal importance and for many centuries it was the capital of the western region of Gujarat. Stippled with hills, the medieval city of Junagadh derives its name from an old fort called by the same name. Junagadh is a place of pilgrimage and has produced a number of saints in its long histroy. The most famous being the Gujarati saint-poet, Narsimha Mehta. It is also a wonderful nature reserve for various flora and fauna. It is also one of the few places where lions still roam free as, it is the abode of the majestic Asiatic Lion. Junagadh is an ancient city of temples, museums, palaces and caves. Every monument reminds its great history. Best Season to visit Junagadh is between October to April. The ‘Bhavnath Fair’ is held during the month of January/February at Junagarh.  HOW TO REACH???By Air  Nearest airport Keshod 37 km & Rajkot 99 km. Rajkot is connected to Bombay by I.A. & Vayudoot. While Keshod is connected to Bombay by Vayudoot.  By Train  Junagarh is connected by train to Ahmedabad.  By Road  G.S.R.T.C. bus services connect Junagarh with Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Gir, Rajkot, Bhuj, Dwarka, Somnath, Palitana, Surat, Vadodara, Porbandar. Taxis, Auto-rickshaws, Tongas & City Bus services are available for local transport.

Distance from Junagarh to :   Mumbai 802 km Rajkot 99 km Ahmedabad 315 km Keshod 37 km Sasangir 58 kms Somnath 92 kms Porbandar 107 kms Palitana 213 kms Jamnagar 184 kms.

Places of Interest

Ashokan Rock Edicts , Uperkot Fort , Narsinh Mehtas Choro, Buddhist Caves, Mahabat Maqbara, Sakkarbaug Zoo , Temple of Amba Mata ,Temple of Mallinath, Junagarh Museum, Damodar Kund, Darbar Hall Museum, Ayurvedic College

Places of Interest around Junagarh

Chorwad Beach, Mount Girnar, Gir Wildlife Sanctuary , Somnath

Ashokan Rock Edicts

On the way to Girnar, there is a huge boulder, housed in a small roadside building, on which are fourteen Rock Edicts inscribed by Emperor Ashoka. The inscriptions are written in Brahmi script in Pali language and date back to 250 B.C. The fourteen edicts of Emperor Ashoka are actually moral lectures. The fourteen edicts of Emperor Ashoka are moral lectures. The edicts record the following orders:

- Human beings shall not be sacrificed. Futile festivities and gatherings to be banned.
- Setting up of medical facilities for humans and animals.
- Instructing government servants to perform their duties.
- Elaboration of edict 3.
- Dharma Mahamantris to enforce edicts.
- Unlimited access to the King for all subjects.
- All religions to live in harmony.
- No hunting or pleasure tours; tours being only for Dharma.
- Superstitious rituals being dismissed as trivial and meaningless.
- Saying no to corruption.
- Listing of the dharmic acts that produce great results; what one should do for friends, relatives, and well-wishers.
- All sects to be honoured.
- Dharma is the most important thing in life.
- An epilogue of the preceding 13 edicts, it surveys their compositional features.

These edicts, preserved in the Girnar hills, bear testimony to the benevolent attitude and activities of the Emperor. On the same rock are inscriptions in Sanskrit added around 150 A.D. by Rudradama and in about 450 A.D. by Skandagupta, the last emperor of the Mauryas.