I visited India this summer along with my mom. She wanted to travel to a city called Palitana. It is in a western state of Gujarat. This city is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations for followers of Jainism, an Indian religion that teaches a path toward spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.Palitana is renowned for the Shatrunjaya ("place of victory against inner enemies") hill temples, a sprawling complex of over 850+ marble temples considered among the holiest in Jainism. Shatrunjaya peak is approximately 603 meters (1,978 feet) tall. Pilgrims climb a total of 3750 stone steps to reach the destination. The climb spans about 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers) from the base. The only way to reach at the top of the hills is by foot. No food or any plastic water bottles are allowed (thus, it was a trash free hike).
My mom stayed at the base and offered her prayers, whileI started my climb at 6am. Though it was a hot day (temperatures hovered around 95F), there were a few pilgrims climbing along with me. A nice cool wind made our ascent more bearable. It took me almost 80 mins to reach the top. As I had begun early. the temple at the peak of the mountain was not very crowded. I was enjoying the serene atmosphere, the tiredness from the climb was gone. The devotional music, chanting, faint aura of incense and fresh roses elated me. I felt the inner peace at this holy site, I did not want to leave this place. After two hours it started to drizzle, the first rain of the season, so I decided to start my descent. The rain intensified making the steps slippery and causing the temperature to drop. I was able to meet my mom at the base around noon. After over 15 years I was able to do this journey and at the end felt the sense of inner calmness.