Bhavnagar & Palitana

Bhavnagar is the base for visiting Palitana (50 km away) and is an interesting place to visit in its own right. It has an old bazaar and a number of attractive havelis. Bhavnagar is a good place to buy tie-dye textiles. The magnificent temple complex spread across Shatrunjaya Hill is just 3 km from Palitana town. There are more than 1000 Jain temples here and it is the main Jain pilgrimage site in India. As with all Jain temple sites visitors must dress respectfully and wear no leather (including watch straps). Most of the temples date from the 16th century but some may go back to the 11th. There are two paths with many steps up the 600 m climb – but the routes are well maintained.