Places to visit in Junagadh - The Girnar

Posted by kishan jadav on March 16th, 2020

Gujarat is known for its business acumen and industrial houses. But in recent times campaigns like “Khushbu Gujarat ki” have put the state on the tourism map. Be it wildlife, religion, history or adventure, Gujarat has it all. And to be more specific, let me share a place that offers all four reasons to visit – The Mount Girnar. It is around 300 km from Ahmedabad and is located in the Junagarh district. The place is a historical one and is famous since the 3rd century. It is a religious place for Hindus and Jains. The mountain range is older than Himalaya and is considered to be a sacred place in India.

Ashoka’s Rock Edicts - Mt. Girnar is home to fourteen of Ashoka’s Major Rock Edicts which are dated back to 250 BCE. The rocks have engravings that seem to be done from an iron pen in the Brahmi language. The historians marked it is as the beginning of the written history of Junagadh. The rock also has the inscriptions in Sanskrit added around 150 CE by Mahakshatrap Rudradaman I, the Saka (Scythian) ruler of Malwa. Those who love history, this place could be second to heaven for them.

Girnar Ropeway – Gujarat is one state whichis gifting Indians some new place to visit and enjoy. After the Statue of Liberty, it’s the Girnar Ropeway. The ropeway is about to launch somewhere between May and June 2020 as per the twitter handle of Udan Khatola, the company constructing this ropeway. The ropeway will connect the base to the Ambaji temple. As of now to climb to the temple, devotees need to take 5000 steps. The ropeway is going to be the most famous thing in Girnar apart from temples. Moreover, the ropeway project brings all-new excitement to the tourist visiting Junagadh. The nearby attraction Gir National Park is attracting many tourists, the ropeway would be a major attraction for them.

There is also a cafeteria being developed to serve tourists. The Girnar is getting a total facelift with the ropeway. If a few primary sources are to be believed, a souvenir shop is also lined up and will be ready by the launch of the ropeway.

Jain Temples - There are 16 Jain temples built in the form of a fort on the ledge at the top of the great cliff. But these temples are 600 feet below the highest point of Girnar. The larger Jain temple is Neminath temple which was built around the years 1128 to 1159. The temple has the deity of Lord Neminath, which is made of black granite. The eyes of the deity are made of precious jewels. The ropeway is not taking the devotees straight up to the Neminath temple but surely provides some convenience to cover a certain distance.

Ambaji Temple - Out of the 52 Shakti peethas, it is one of them. It is believed that the stomach of Devi had fallen here. The Girnar Ropeway will connect the temple directly to the base. Devotees need to put one step only in the ropeway in place of 5000 steps. The height of the temple is 3664 ft.

These are just four I have mentioned. To summarize, Girnar was always a major attraction for various reasons. And with the launch of the new ropeway, the place will see a revitalization of how people see the place. The ropeway is also set to attract tourists from all over India.