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A highly revered pilgrimage which
attracts thousand of pilgrims every year, Junagadh is one of the most
picturesque town in India.Dotted with historical monuments and
religious places, the small town at the base of the holy Girnar
mountain makes on interesting destination.
Junagadh is one of
the oldest towns of India. Located at the base of the holy Girnar
mountain in Saurashtra, Gujarat, it is a quaint fort town of walkable
dimensions and a population of around 1,50,000. For Gujaratis, the
town’s significance lies mainly in its proximity to Girnar,
which is a highly revered pilgrimage. Yet it is an interesting
destination for the culture-vulture type of traveller too. It is
easily one of the most picturesque towns of Indian and second to none
in antiquite and historical importance.
The city takes its
name from the fort that sourrounded it until very recently. It is
said that the city was deserted from 7 A.D. to 10 A.D. and was discovered,
completely swamped by the jungle. It was then named Jirndurg, meaning
old city, by its discoverer Rah Grahar. Later, as the city was
fortified against marauders, the name was modified and changed to
Jirngadh, meaning old fort. Over the centuries, the name got
polished by usage and emerged finally at Junagadh.
There is a lot to
see in Junagadh. However, the chief attractions of Junagadh can be
broadly classified into two categories: historical monuments and
religious places. Foremost of the historical sights is the old fort
known as Uparkot, the ancient citadel around which the fort of
Junagadh was built. Although extensively renovated and extended many
times during the course of its long chequered past its antiquarian
outlook remains intact. When Rah Grahar found it in the 10th
century, he had the old rubble cleared and in its place built a new
palace. The battlements were fortified and the fort was provided
with all that would be required in the event of a siege. So sought
after was the fort that it was besieged as many as 16 times and one,
for a full 12 years, unsuccessfully.
High walls, at
times 20 metres high, surround the fort. One enters it through and
ornate triple gateway that is worth more than a passing glance.
Inside, the first curiosity is a colossal five metre long cannon
called Nilam. It was cast in Egypt in 1531 and left behind by a
Turkish admiral who was assisting the Sultan of Gujarat against the
Portuguese at Diu in 1538. The first building that one sees is the
Jami Masjid, which in spite of its magnificent backdrop stands sadly
disused. Even a little Vandalized. Close by the mosque are some
Buddhist caves that the said to be more than 1500 years old. The
caves are not natural but ingeniously carved into the hillside. The
double storey complex (below ground level) has several chambers with
carved pillars and curious water passages (possibly some kind of
ancient air conditioning system) running along every chamber. After
the caves, come the stepwells, the most impressive feature of the
fort. Known as Navghan Kuvo adichadi Vav, they were both
commissioned by Rah Navghan I (1025-1044 A.D.), and are in excellent
condition even today albeit in need of a thorough cleaning.
Apart from the
caves and the Jami Masjid, there is no other building in the fort
that could have been used for living in. Although excavations have
revealed the existence of places, swimming pools, theatres and arenas
dating back to even before 250 B.C., There is nothing to suggest that
the place has been inhabited in the recent past. The last time
Uparkot was inhabited by the reigning monarch was in 1451 A.D. by Rah
Mandlik III, a direct descendant of Rah Grahar and the last of the
Rah rulers of Junagadh. In 1472, the Sultan of Gujarat Mohammed
Begada annexed Junagadh to his kngdom and caused the construction of
many palaces and gardens in the town outside Uparkot but still within
the fort of Junagadh. The old palace was converted into a mosque and
the new, rulers stopped living in Uparkot, preferring to live in the
more luxurious city palace.
There were two
city palaces and both of them now house Government offices. A
section of the old city palace is however open to the public. Known
as Durbar Hall, it offer a brief glimpse into the pomp with which the
Nawabs of Junagadh lived. Apart from the weapons and armour that
such museums usually display, one can also view a large collection of
chandeliers from the last century, silver furniture, ornamental
clocks, medals, howdahs, palanquins and paintings of the Nawabs.
There is another
fine museum in the compounds of Junagadh’s zoo.The Sakkar Bagh
which incidentally is remarkably well stocked with exotic birds that
include flamingos and of course all the big cats, with pride of
place, going to the famous Gir Lions. Of great interest in the
Sakkar Bagh museum are the remnants of Junagadh’s pre-Mughal
past which they excavated from Uparkot. They also have an impressive
collection of miniature paintings and ancient coins.
Amongst the other
historical monument, the most important are the mausoleums of the
Nawabs and petty princes of Junagadh. There are several of them,
spread all over the city. The two main groups are on Gandhi Road,
opposite the law courts and at the head of Dhal Road. One can
identify them easily as muslim structures by the elegant minarets
they usually sport. But the ornamentation is clearly, deeply
influenced by the Hindu and Jain ethos of the majority population.
A little out of
town, on the way to Girnar, in a small roadside building, is a huge
boulder that bears irrefutable testimony to the venerable age of the
site on which Junagadh stands. Inscribed on the rock are 14 edicts
of the Emperor Ashoka. Dating back to around 250 B.C. they are
written in Pali script and lay down the moral strictures of the
Emperor. Later inscriptions were added in 150 A.D. by Rudrama and in
450 A.D. by Sikandagupta. The later inscriptions are in Sanskrit and
refer to recurring floods destroying the embankments of the holy
Sudarshan lake which was nearby. In spite of repairs, as mentioned
in the inscription, the embankments were eventually totally destroyed
and the lake does not exist anymore.
The last item of
this jaunt in Junagadh is the holy Girnar mountain. This five peaked
mountain hill is studded with Jain and Hindu temples and attracts
thousands of pilgrims from far and near. The temples are amongst the
oldest in the land and highly venerated by all who visit them. It is
a 1,118, metres ascent to the summit, up 10,000 stone steps which,
according to a local story, were built from the proceeds of a
lottery. It takes three to four hours to reach the summit with
breaks at the frequent refreshment stalls all along the way. The old
and infirm can make use of a Dandi, a very basic palanquin carried by
two men. It’s a pleasant walk, through a scrubby forest with
plenty to see, both on and off the path.
The pilgrimage to
Girnar begins with a dip in the Damodar Kund. Legend has it that it
was built by Vajrnabh, the grandson of the God Krishna. The saint
poet Narasinh Mehta (of Vaishnav Janato… fame) is said to have
had a vision of Lord Krishna here. Most pilgrims however give the
dip a miss and satisfy themselves with just a visit to the Krishna
temple at the site.
The first group of
temples on Giurnar mountain appears after 6000 steps. This is the
focal point of all the Jain pilgrims who come here. The largest and
oldest of these temples is dedicated to Neminath, the 22nd
Jain Tirthankar. A mammoth black image of Neminath with outsized
eyes of gold, dominates the central shrine. There are scores of
other shrines with smaller images all around the temple. Nearby is
the triple temple of Mallinath, the 19th Trithankar. All
the temple exteriors are exquisitely carved and look their age but
the exteriors have been painted and plastered so often that they
hardly look like the 700 years old temples that they are supposed to
be. Still, they are a beautiful sight to behold and a fascinating
insight into Jain religious rituals. The outward similarity with
Hinduism is remarkable. Just as in a Hindu temple, the pilgrims here
too offer flowers, leaves, fruit, grains, vermilion and sandalwood
paste to the deity, amidst chanting of mantras and ringing of bells.
Once the pooja is done, they too adorn their forehead with generous
daubs of vermilion and sandalwood paste and offer money for the
upkeep of the shrine. As with the Hindus, the Jains too have a
complicated ritual of ablutions before the pooja and the men are
required to wear unstitched clothes only. The women however, are
allowed in, in their normal clothes.
At the summit of
the mountain is the temple of Amba Mata. This Hindu temple is
dedicated to an incarnation of the mother Goddess. Newly married
couples come here to be blessed by the Goddess and thereby be assured
of eternal conjugal bliss. There are several other temples in the
vicinity which are probably older than the Jain temples but, once
again, frequent renovation has robbed them completely of their former
beauty. Most notable of them is the Gaumukhi Ganga temple. It is
built around a natural carving of a cow, from whose mouth flows a
perennial stream of water.
Girnar has been an
object of pilgrimage for a very long time, even before the temples
were built. It is mentioned even in the Puranas, the oldest Hindu
scriptures. It is an ancient. Power place, especially suited to the
anchorite, a man who has chosen to follow the spiritual path. Great
Sadhus have come here to perform penances and rituals on their onward
path of spiritual evolution. In addition to the Jain Tirthankars,
Guru Dattatreya, Gorakhnathji and Ramanandji, are but a few of the
great people who have been here. Even today, a peak known as Gabbar,
a inhabited exclusively by Yogis and other Sadhakas. According to a
local belief, a rock known as Bhairav Jap has magical properties. It
is said that whoever commits suicide by jumping off this rock, is
reborn as a prince! While there is no way of Verifying this belief,
there is nonetheless an amazing coincidence. If all those who
commit suicide were to be reborn as princes, the most logical place
would be Junagadh, because it is right there, at the base of
mountain. Uncannily, Junagadh does seem to have had a most
unusually large number of prices.
Getting There
By Air
The nearest
airport is Ahmedabad which is approximately 300 kilometres from
Junagadh.
By Rail
Junagadh is
connected by rail with Ahmedabad and Bombay. The journey takes
approximately eight hours.
By Road
Well connected by
road with all major towns. Gujarat Roadways buses ply frequently to
Junagadh. Private taxis easily available from Ahmedabad, Surat and
Bombay.
Local Transport
Auto rickshaws and
taxis with no metres. Tongas also available. The best way to get
about town is to walk. A map of Junagadh is displayed outside the
Post Office in Diwan chowk which is very useful.
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