Shatrunjaya Hill: Sacred Place of Adinath

  Palitana, Gujarat, India
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

"Adinath. Adinath," the white-clad monks and laypeople chanted as they clapped inside the marble inner sanctum of the holiest Jain temple. This was Adishwar, the main temple on Shatrunjaya Hill, the place where Adinath, the first tirthankara, or lord, achieved enlightenment perhaps 5,000 years ago.

Although Mahavir, the last tirthankara, founded Jainism as a religion 2,600 years ago, the essence of Jainism is as old as time itself. Indeed, Jains do not believe that either time or the universe have a beginning or end. They do believe, however, in the equality of souls, or jivas, in terms of their ability to achieve enlightenment or moksha. They also believe in non-violence, truth, non-possessiveness, chastity, and non-stealing as main ethical principals.

The path to moksha involves observing these principals as well as living an ascetic life of meditation. Adinath, like Lord Buddha and the other Jain lords, achieved moksha by liberating his soul through the destruction of karma.

Inside the temple, light reflected onto the metallic eyes of the principal idol, Adinath, seemingly breathing light into the marble body. Priests covered their mouths with cloth out of respect for the idol of Adinath, as they administered offerings. They carried whisks with them, in case they needed to move small insects out of harm's way--non-violence was truly practiced in its most devout form. Bells reverberated between the chanting and singing.

"We are here to worship God," said a pilgrim from New Jersey, a Gujarati emmigrant. "One God...we all share the same God."

To reach the temple, I climbed 3,500 steps up Shatrunjaya Hill under a bright sun. Sweating men carried pilgrims on dholies, seats held by poles and ropes, for those wanting a more restful trip to the summit. The steps were regularly swept clean as Jain pilgrims walked up and down from the hill temples. On the way, they passed bird feeders graced with Rose-ringed Parakeets, Large Grey Babblers, and Rufous Treepies and a dry environment of sparse trees overlooking vast farmland and a large resevoir--the heartland of Gujarat.

In addition to Adishwar, hundreds of other temples reached towards the heavens on the top of the hill, considered a disjunct chunk of the Himalayas, according to legend. Time was short as the sun was setting, so I planned another lengthy climb the next morning.

"Good morning...come here," said Ahamad Shah, beckoning warmly, from the lofty Angar Pir, a Muslim temple at the Jain Complex. Why is a Muslim temple here? I wondered. Almost reading my mind, the Muslim priest answered: "We are here to protect the Jain temples...for nine hundred years...We all believe in one God."

One God. One God. The theme of this pilgrimage was a clear as day.

He handed me his cell phone to talk with his daughter Pankanath who lived in Ahmedabad. She was Jain and invited me to call her when I reached there a few weeks from now.

Painters and artisans were busy restoring many of the temples, scrubbing them of grime and giving them a fresh face. Priests and guards smiled, tactfull asking for baksheesh sometimes too, although I refused to give baksheesh in a place of worship, among other places. "Here," I said, putting some coins in the donation box instead.

Saying goodbye to Ahamad Shah, I followed the steps down once again in the heat of the noon sun. Today's lesson: "One God."