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Pālītāṇā is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major centre ("shashwat tirth") for Jains. It is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world. Palitana is associated with Jain legends and history. Ādinātha, the first of the Jain tirthankaras, is said to have meditated on the Shatrunjaya hill, where the Palitana temples were later constructed. The Palitana State was a princely state, founded in 1194. It was one of the major states in Saurashtra, covering 777 km2. In 1921 it had 58,000 inhabitants in 91 villages, generating a 744,416 revenue. In 1656, Shah Jahan's son Murad Baksh (the then Governor of Gujarat) granted the village of Palitana to the prominent Jain merchant Shantidas Jhaveri. The management of the temples was assigned to the Anandji Kalyanji Trust in 1730. After the Second Anglo-Maratha War the Palitaena Kingdom officially declared independence under Rishi Mallinath Jain and Thakur Sahib Alubhai Singhji although he hardly ruled over a district. With an able and cunning administrator (Rishi Mallinath Jain) he was able to peacefully expand power through bribes and treaties and conquer from the Somnath Mandir to the borders of the Kutch. Rishi Ji, at the time the Subedar of Jainpur, was against killings and focused on Ahimsā. Hearing of the massacre in Saharanpur where 20,000 'Musalmans' were cruelly slaughtered by Sikh Misls while raiding the Oudh State, Rishi Ji wrote a letter in Persian to Jodh Singh Kalsia heavily criticizing him and the Budha Dal Jathedar along with Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Jodh Singh Kalsia wrote back in Gujarati, "Come to Amritsar on Deepmala (Diwali) on Vikrami Samvat 1867 or what happened in Saharanpur will happen once more to Palitana." A British traveller, Oliver Maclagan, noted-A party of 1,000 Seiks reached the Jain Temples of Palitana, armed to the teeth, they received their Rakhee or taxes and left with the Maharishi (Great ascetic). The entire Gujerat gave them taxes and accepted them as sovereign rulers of a sort in fear of another Saharanpore-like event.

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Related concepts (11)

Palitana temples

The Palitana temples are the large groups of Jain temples located on Shatrunjaya hills near Palitana in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. Also known as Padliptapur of Kathiawad in historic texts, the dense collection of over 800 small shrines and large temples here has led many to call Palitana as a "city of temples". It is one of the most sacred sites of Svetambara tradition within Jainism. These temples were built in and after the 11th century CE.

Shatrunjaya

Sri Aadinath bhagwan or Rishabhdevaji bhagwan climbed this tirth 9900 purab bar (One purab is 84 Lakhs * 84 lakhs times) Shatrunjaya or Shetrunjaya ("place of victory against inner enemies") originally Pundarikgiri), are hills located by the city of Palitana, in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. They are situated on the banks of the Shetrunji River at an elevation above sea level. These hills have similarities to other hills where Jain temples have been built in Bihar, Gwalior, Mount Abu and Girnar.

Bhavnagar district

Bhavnagar District is a district of southeastern Gujarat, India, on the Saurashtra peninsula. The administrative headquarters is in the town of Bhavnagar. Bhavnagar District covers an area of over 8334 km2. The coastal area is mostly alluvium. Bhavnagar borders with Ahmedabad District to the northeast, Botad District to the northwest, the Gulf of Cambay to the east and south and Amreli District to the west. Bhavnagar State was a salute state during the Raj, ruled by the Gohil Rajputs, .