Shatrunjaya, also spelled Shetrunjaya ("place of victory against inner enemies") and originally known as Pundarikgiri, is a range of

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

s located near the city of

Palitana Palitana is a city in the Bhavnagar district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations for followers of Jainism, renowned for the Shatrunjaya hill temples, a sprawling complex of over 900 marble t ...

in the Bhavnagar district of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The hills are situated on the banks of the Shetrunji River at an elevation of approximately above sea level. These hills bear similarities to other locations where Jain temples have been constructed, including those in

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

Mount Abu Mount Abu (), known as Arbudgiri in Jain tradition, is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in the Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Here, the mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. It is ref ...

, and

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages of Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankara, Tirthaṅkar, Lord Neminath attained omniscience, and later nirvana at its highest peak (''Neminath Shikhar''), ...

. The sacred Jain hill of Shatrunjaya is home to 865 temples. The site was sanctified when

Rishabha Rishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), also Rishabhadeva (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव, ), Rishabha (Devanagari: ऋषभ, ) or Ikshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु, ''Ikṣvāku''), is the first (Supreme preacher) ...

, the first

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...

of Jainism, delivered his sermons on the summit. The ancient significance of the hills is also attributed to Pundarik Swami, a chief

Ganadhara In Jainism, the term Ganadhara is used to refer the chief disciple of a ''Tirthankara''. In '' samavasarana'', the ''Tīrthankara'' sat on a throne without touching it (about two inches above it). Around, the ''Tīrthankara'' sits the ''Gana ...

and the grandson of Rishabha, who is believed to have attained

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

here. His shrine is located opposite the main temple of Adinath, which was built by Bharata, the son of Rishabha. Alternate spellings include ''Śatruñjaya'', ''Satrunjaya'', ''Shetrunja'', and ''Shetrunjo''. Shatrunjaya was also known as ''Pundarikgiri'', as Pundarik Swami is believed to have attained nirvana on the mountain. Other names include ''Siddhakshetra'' or ''Siddhanchal'', since many

s are said to have attained enlightenment there. Shatrunjaya is considered the most sacred pilgrimage site in Jainism.

Etymology

The name ''Shatrunjaya'', where the sacred Mount Shatrunjaya is located, means "place of victory" or "that which conquers enemies".

Geography

The

Gulf of Khambhat The Gulf of Khambhat, also known as the Gulf of Cambay, is a bay on the Arabian Sea coast of India, bordering the state of Gujarat just north of Mumbai and Diu Island. The Gulf of Khambhat is about long, about wide in the north and up to wi ...

lies to the south of the Shatrunjaya Hills, while the town of

Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city and the headquarters of Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil. It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Dominion ...

is located to the north. A river flows between the two main hills. According to legend, the hills are considered part of the

ranges. A path along the ridge descends into the Aadpur Valley, covering a distance of approximately . The town of

is situated at the base of the foothills, around from Bhavnagar. The region's topography is rugged, and the landscape is prone to drought.

Culture

The hills are an ancient '' tirtha'' (religious pilgrimage site). The Palitana temples, a sacred pilgrimage complex located on both hills and the saddle between them, are accessed by ascending approximately 3,750 stone steps carved into the mountain. The climb spans about from the base and typically takes around two hours. The hills are closed to pilgrims for four months during the monsoon season. The pilgrimage is known as the "''Shri Shatrunjay Teerth Yatra''", and it takes place on the

Poornima Pūrṇimā () is the word for full moon in Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day (''Tithi'') in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar fortnights (paksha), and the Moon is aligned exactl ...

(full moon day) of the Kartik month, according to the Jain calendar (October–November in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

). Thousands of Jains gather at the base of the hills to participate in the ''

yatra ''Yatra'' (, ), in Indian religion, Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of River#Sacred rivers, sacred rivers, Sacred mountains#India, sacred mount ...

'' (religious journey). During this significant pilgrimage, considered a once-in-a-lifetime event by many Jains, devotees circumambulate the Shatrunjaya Hills, covering a distance of approximately on foot while offering prayers.

References

Bibliography

* {{Cite book, last= Deshpande , first=Aruna, title= India:Divine Destination, work=Palitana, pages=418–419 , publisher=Crest Publishing House, year=2005, isbn=81-242-0556-6 Hills of Gujarat Jain pilgrimage sites

Etymology

Geography

Culture

See also

References

Bibliography