Palitana Things to Do

I could trot out a corny reference to the song, but I shall refain.

There are about 900 odd temples dotted around this sacred mountain, and to climb all the way to the top means ascending some 3,500 steps.

The site is most sacred to the Jain religion, which practices non-harm to all creatures on earth. Some devotees even manage to train themselves to wake up several times a night to ensure that they are not crushing any beetle or other bug that might have inadvertenly creeped into their bedclothes.

Many Hindus (never a religion to miss out on a good temple) also make the ascent up the marbled steps. It took me a couple of hours, and the views are stunning to say the least. The good nature and humour of the others climbing was also overwhelming.

Many Jains believe that they should make the trip up at least once in their lifetime in order to enter 'nirvana' (a similar concept to the Buddhist idea). Some get carried up in a kind of 'hammock'.