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Gujarat

Palitana (Shatrunjaya)

A marble city of Jain temples up 3,750 steps on one hill

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Best time to visit Palitana (Shatrunjaya)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to February
  • Shoulder: March, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: April to October

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryNovemberDecember

Palitana (Shatrunjaya) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec-Feb is the climbing season: start at 5 am, 3,750 steps to 600 m, and the summit is cool until about ten.

Summer March to May Shoulder

Mar-May turns the bare hill into a furnace above 40 °C; the doli carriers still work it, but you should not.

Monsoon June to September Do not go

Jul-Oct the yatra is suspended for chaturmas and the hill stays closed to pilgrims until Kartik Purnima.

Autumn October to November Prime time

November reopening draws thousands on Kartik Purnima, and after that week the steps are yours in fine weather.

What Palitana (Shatrunjaya) is actually like

Jain pilgrims and dharamshalas that take walk-ins; strictly veg town, no leather allowed up the hill

Things to do in Palitana

The local places worth your time in and around Palitana, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Agam Mandir

    Temple · 2 km out

    Marble temple near the taleti with Jain scriptures carved across its walls; open when the hill itself shuts in monsoon

  • Kadambgiri

    Temple · 12 km out

    Small Jain hill tirth outside town, a 20 minute climb and often empty; the view back to Shatrunjaya is the point

  • Hastagiri Jain Tirth

    Temple · 30 km out

    Hilltop tirth on the Talaja road with a short climb from the road; a gentler day if the 3,750 steps are out

  • Talaja Caves

    Heritage · 40 km out

    Rock-cut Buddhist caves and Jain temples on a lone hill above Talaja town; steep steps, an hour up and back

  • Gopnath Beach

    Beach · 65 km out

    Black rock and cliffs over an empty Saurashtra beach with an old Shiva temple; no food stalls, buy lunch at Talaja

Getting to Palitana (Shatrunjaya)

Palitana has its own station on the Bhavnagar line 56 km away; taleti and first step 2 km by auto

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Steady at its peak
Solo travel
Fine solo
Altitude
67 m
State
Gujarat
Coordinates
21.5222, 71.8236

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Palitana (Shatrunjaya)?

November to February is peak season in Palitana (Shatrunjaya). March is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to October. November reopening draws thousands on Kartik Purnima, and after that week the steps are yours in fine weather.

How many days do you need in Palitana (Shatrunjaya)?

2 days is the usual stay. Jain pilgrims and dharamshalas that take walk-ins; strictly veg town, no leather allowed up the hill.

How do you get to Palitana (Shatrunjaya)?

Palitana has its own station on the Bhavnagar line 56 km away; taleti and first step 2 km by auto. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Palitana (Shatrunjaya) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.

Is there a festival in Palitana (Shatrunjaya)?

Nov: Kartik Purnima yatra, the day the hill reopens. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.

What are the best things to do in Palitana?

Agam Mandir, Kadambgiri, Hastagiri Jain Tirth, Talaja Caves and Gopnath Beach. Marble temple near the taleti with Jain scriptures carved across its walls; open when the hill itself shuts in monsoon.

Nearby, and where to go next

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