Junagadh - It's a small city surrounded by mountains, and forts all over. The name itself signifies Gadh means - hill. The 9th day of our trip and the best place to conclude our vacation of 10 days. We reached Junagadh by 11 am and checked into a beautiful resort just below the famous Mount Girnar hill. Our room was facing towards a huge spread of mountains, which was a breathtaking view. Junagadh is famous for its mountains, temples, and old caves. After refreshments, we started towards the ancient Girnar hill. Standing tall at 3672 feet, this centuries-old hill is covered with 866 Hindu and Jain temples that are spread over the summits.
Girnar hills hold a special place for Hindu devotees. Dattatreya Paduka, an ancient temple located on 9,999 steps of Girnar hill, is the most revered site for Hindus. Locals say that the Paduka of Guru " Dattatreya" is resting on the uppermost tonk of the Girnar. Many of the sadhus say they have seen the sights of Guru Dattatreya. Jain pilgrims call Girnar Mount Neminath. The group of temples on the top of Girnar hill is sacred to both Digambar and Shewtambar, two main sects of Jainism.
Adhya Shakti Goddess Ambaji temple is located on Girnar hills at around 4840 steps and 3300 feet height. This temple is a very important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains across the world. It is believed that the Ambaji temple in Girnar hill is the oldest and the holiest. This is the first highest peak of Girnar as well. This temple is one of the 51 shakti peethas. As per the legend, lord Shree Vishnu had given a boon to Girnar that all the gods will stay here at Grinar and named as "Giri Narayana".
Earlier devotees used to climb 5000 steps to reach Ambaji temple. In the year 2020 October, our honorable Prime Minister - Shree Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ropeway facility to reach Ambaji temple, which takes just 8 minutes. This is supposed to be Asia's biggest ropeway. It takes pilgrims at 2,800ft above the hill to the Girnar Amabaji temple from Bhavnath Taleti. We witnessed a scenic aerial view of the lush green beauty surrounding Mount Girnar.
Upon reaching the Ambaji temple, we had a soulful darshan of the mother divine. Felt so pure and fresh, between mountains and temples. Besides these temples, there are some minor temples namely "Meravasi" built in the 15th century. Married couples visit this temple to seek blessings. In the present day, Girnar is one of India's biggest pilgrimage places. A race is conducted every year, the race involves climbing to the top of 8000 steps. A large number of people take part in it, and it is a major attraction here.
After Ambaji darshan, we went shopping in the bazaars. Here in Junagadh, you will witness remembrances such as wall hangings, cloth toys, embroidered footwear, silk sarees, and herbal medicines. One will witness narrow lanes, market shifts, shopkeepers harking, and street shops. As the place is supported by the giant Girnar hill there is a giant market for herbal products here. Many manufacturing companies are making the product and also selling them at good affordable prices.
We concluded our 10 days vacation in one of India's beautiful state truly vibrant in its culture, food, art, folk music, heritage, and traditions. A state which offers only the best thing. Isn't there one thing that binds all these stories and images? Devotion or say faith or call it love. You feel that buoyant joy here, a feeling that you have been dragged out of the stream of life, the continuous time and space you live in, to a place where everything has settled, where one can find the calmness in the roaring sea and peace in the mystic stories of Meera and Krishna. And standing amid this divinity, Gujarat is the land where life processes condense into devotion or love, one realizes that love is the central force where all the forces mingle. Love is devotion. Love is awareness. Krishna is love and Meera is devotion.
The real pride of India - Gujarat. Concluding the last part -5 of this Holy Triangle -
Dwarka, Somnath, and Junagadh. "Jai Shree Krishna"
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