Jain Pilgrimage - 15 Days
Rajkot - Junagadh - Palitana - Patan - Ambaji - Mount Abu - Udaipur - Ranakpurjee - Nakodajee - Jodhpur
DEPART: 09/02/12, 01/03/12, 18/03,12, 01/09,12,25/09/12,18/11/12
RETURN: 23/02/12, 15/03/12, 01/04/12, 15/09/12,09/10/12,02/12/12
Can be arranged as per your dates any time of year (Min. 2 pax)
from £1750 per person
USD / CAD from $2800 (Joining from U.K.)
USD / CAD from $2080 (Joining from Rajkot, India)
Day 1 : Depart UK : Today we start our Holy Jain tirth, group to assemble at London Heathrow for our onward flight to Rajkot.
Day 2 : Arrive Rajkot Today arrive at Rajkot airport early in the morning. Sightseeing of Waltson Museum and visit Jain Temples in Rajkot. Upon arrival meet our representative and transfer to then hotel.
Day 3 Rajkot - Junagarh : (110 Kms) Today drive to Junagarh. At Junagarh a visit to the Jain temple & Dharmashala is available at ‘Jagmal Chouk’ in Junagarh. In Junagarh – Inscriptions of Ashoka, Rajul Mahal, Nawab Ka Mahal, Museum, Mohabbat Makbara etc. Overnight at Junagarh.
Day 4 : Junagarh : Shri Girnarji Siddha Kshetra Siddha Kshetra (Place of Salvation) Today we start our drive from Rajkot – Junagarh post breakfast. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel. Later drive to Girnarji Taleti the base of the mount. The mount is spread over 5 summits with over 900 Hindu and Jain temples located. There are over 4000 steps so we suggest that we start early in the morning to cover all of these. Overnight in Junagarh.
Day 5 : Junagarh – Palitana : 275 Kms Shri Digambar Jain Siddha Kshetra Shatrunjaya Giri, Palitana Siddha Kshetra (Place of Salvation) Today after breakfast we drive to Palitana, upon arrival check in at the hotel. Later visit, The Adeshwara temple. This temple honors Adeshwara, one of the most important tirthankars of the Jain faith. Each tirthankar is signified by a particular animal. Here you will see friezes of dragons encircling the temple, representing Adeshwara. Chaumukh Temple, Built in 1618, the Chaumukh Temple is the shrine of four faces (chau = four, mukh = face), with four images of Adinath facing the four cardinal directions. Sri Vishal Jain Museum, At the foot of Shatrunjaya, this museum houses an excellent collection of artifacts, excavated idols from earlier temples, ancient manuscripts written on palm leaves, and an exhibit on the history of Jainism and the life of Lord Mahavira. Most of the accompanying information is in Gujarati, though some is in Hindi and occasionally English. Overnight at Palitana.
Day 6 : Palitana Today we start our journey to Talaja (32 kms oneway). There is a notable Jain temple on a hill alongside the town. The same hill has 13 Buddhist caves carved into solid rock. The caves are around 2000 years old, and require about a 15-20 min. walk up the hill to reach them. They are of the 4th stage of Buddhist cave architecture, noticeably earlier than the famous Buddhist caves of Maharashtra. The Hindu temple of Khodiad Mata is on the same hill, placing holy sites of three religions on the same site. You can also visit Narsinh Mehta’s house in town, though there is little of obvious note other than a marker signaling it as the house of his birth.
Day 7 : Palitana - Ahmedabad : 205 Kms : After finishing the temples drive to Ahmedabad for overnight stay.
Day 8 : Ahmedabad – Patan – Palanpur : (125 + 58 Kms) Today we start early to Patan. Upon arrival visit Panchasara Parshvanath Jain Derasar one of the largest of more than 100 Jain temples in Patan, a reminder of Patan’s role as center of Jainism during the Solanki era, with sophisticated stone carvings and white marble floors that are characteristic of Jain architecture. It is also worth visiting Kapur Mahetano Pado, where the stone temple has a wooden interior. Jain temples were once all of fantastically and intricately carved wood until, it is said, the master-builder Uda Mehta saw a mouse carrying a burning candle in its mouth and realized that one mishap would destroy years of work, and from then on insisted that all Jain temples should be created in stone. Later after visiting the temples drive to Palanpur for overnight stay.
Day 9 : Palanpur via Ambaji – Mount Abu : Today we drive from palanpur to Ambaji to visit the Ambaji temple, Ambaji temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths of Hinduism. The shrine built of marble, has no idol but a place with a matrix of geometric shapes called the Vishvo Yantra. Ancient Gabbar temple is very near from this temple where lord Krishna’s had his tonsure ceremony. Lord Vishnu’s severed Sati’s body into 51 pieces to bring Shiva back to good sense. The places where the various part of Sati’s body fell down are known as Shakti Peeths. Her heart has fallen down where the Ambaji temple stands today. Ambaji temple is flocked by millions of pilgrims every year. Rest of the day visits villages.
Day 10 : Mount Abu – Udaipur : Today we visit the Dilwara temples in Mount Abu. Mount Abu was an important Vaishnava and Shaivite pilgrim centre up to the 11th century AD. Today, it is recognized the world over for its magnificent Jain temples. No visit to Abu can be complete without a trip to the famed Delwara temples. These temples are the greatest draw of Abu, apart from its salubrious clime. Wondrously carved in marble, the Delwara temples enshrine various Jain tirthankaras (saints). Vimal Vasahi, the oldest temple, built by Vimal Shah, Minister of a Solanki ruler of Gujarat in 1031 A.D., is dedicated to Adinath, the first of the Jain tirthankaras. The central shrine has an image of Rishabhdev and a large courtyard with 52 small shrines, each housing a beautiful statue of a tirthankara with 48 elegantly carved pillars from the entrance to the courtyard. Later drive to Udaipur.
Day 11 : Udaipur – Today we start our visit to Shri Rishabh Dev Digambar Jain Atishaya Kshetra is situated in the village – Dhulev of district – Udaipur (Rajasthan), Udaipur is famous as Lake City in the world. This place is now famous as ‘Rishabh Dev’ due to the glory & miracles of the idol of Bhagwan Rishabh Dev (Adinath). This Kshetra is known as ‘Kesariaji’ also because of the tradition of worship of the idol by saffron (Kesar). Due to the black color of idol this is famous in local & tribal public as ‘Kalia Baba’. This place is situated at the bank of river ‘Koyal (Kumarika)’ surrounded by the hills of Arawali Mountain Range. This ancient temple has great significance among various ancient temples of northern India having 52 magnificent spires on it. The idol of principal deity Bhagwan Rishabh Dev has no sign on the base of it; it proves the idol very ancient. This is also supposed that this idol was reverenced by Acharya Vidyanand in 8th – 9th century. Overnight in Udaipur.
Day 12 : Udaipur – Ranakpurjee : Today drive from Udaipur to Ranakpur Jee. Considered as one of the five holy places for the Jain community, these were created in the 15th century during the reign of Rana Kumbha. These are enclosed within a wall. The temple is an astounding creation of architectural splendor with 29 halls and 1,444 pillars all distinctly carved, no two pillars being alike. Another temple worth visiting is the nearby 'Sun Temple' dedicated to the 'Sun God'.
Day 13 : Ranakpurjee – Nakodajee – Jodhpur : After Ranakpur Jee we visit the Badi Sadari Jain temple, Falna and drive towards the Nakodajee Jain temple. Later we start our 110 Kms drive. While our drive we visit the Jahaj Digambar Jain Temple. Later drive 60 Kms Osian village. The Osian Jain Temples are also a must visit during your tours to the historical monuments to areas in and around Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. There are many sections of this temple, which was built in several distinct phases. Later drive to Jodhpur for overnight stay.
Day 14 : Jodhpur – Mumbai : Today fly from Jodhpur to Mumbai by flight. Overnight at the Hotel.
Day 15 : Mumbai – Onwards : Today we drive to the airport as per the onward flight schedule.
Cost Includes :
International Economy class return air ticket
Accommodation in Hotels (Twin / Double / Triple Sharing Basis)
All transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary;
One bottle of water each day per guest.
Representative and Guide services at some places.
All present applicable taxes.
Cost does not include:
Any meals other then those specified in 'Cost Includes'.
Expenses of personal nature such as tips, telephone calls, laundry etc.
Any other item not specified in 'Cost Includes'.
Tips £15 per person
Single Supplement : £475
Jain pilgrimages
