Sacred Places - Girnar Hill , India

Mount Girnar ( Girnar Hill ) is situated in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India. Girnar is known to be the “anthology of mountains” which contains about five mountains connected by a stone path - a pilgrimage route for Hindus and Jains. According to the legend there are 9,999 steps from the trailhead to the last temple.

It is believed by Hindus that if you climb the mountain barefooted you will be granted forgiveness and a place in Heaven. There are many legends attached to Girnar Hill. It is also said that if a person attempts suicide from the holy stone, he'll become one with Heaven. Another curious fact is that in the Gir Forest still can be seen the last remaining Asian lions.

The major temple is the Neminath temple built in the 11th century.The temple contains the deity of Lord Neminath, which is made of black granite and the eyes of the deity are made of precious jewels. According to Jain religion n, Neminath, the 22nd Tirthankar became an ascetic after he saw the slaughter of animals for food on his wedding. He rejected all worldly pleasures and went to Mount Girnar to attain salvation. There, Bhagwan Neminath reached the highest state of enlightenment, Keval Gyan and Moksha, after great austerities. His bride-to-be also followed his path and founded the 'Sandhvi Sangh', the organization of women ascetics.

In addition, there is another temple known as Mallinath temple within the Neminath temple which is devoted to Tirthankar (Jain god).

Another Jain temple in the region is the Parshwanath Temple. It was built in the 15th century and is also known as Meravasi. Besides this, there is a Goddess Ambe Temple at Grinar. The temple is visited by the newly married couples for good fortune and prosperous married life.

A mosque is situated near the Meravasi temple where childless women seek blessings. There are many more temples in Girnar worth seeing. It's a deeply spiritual place where people from many religions go to search for inner peace and harmony.

However, Girnar is a must-see for everyone interested in Indian culture.The outstanding architecture and the feeling of eternity floating in the air makes it an incredible place.

Travel tip: If you decide to go and explore India - do not trust online bookings and call to confirm your reservations. It might be pricey so use a call service which provides cheap calls to India .