|| Om Dram Dattatreyay Namah ||

Foreword

India is a country of faith; Faith in different forms, and different beliefs. Yet, its the same faith that binds people together in the good times and the bad times. For generations, different religions have made India their home and have been thriving in peace and harmony. No wonder India is becoming the epicenter of the Religious Tourism globally!

Girnar is one such religious destination in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India. Its a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Jains and is famous for the Girnar Parikrama Festival. It is a group of hills that are home to Jain as well as Hindu temples.

This was my first visit to Girnar and first trip of the year 2024 too. The destination was selected by one of my friends and he invited me and my wife to join him and his wife on the tour. By the time we started planning, one more couple and a friend joined as well. We soon become a group of seven (or Magnificent Seven, should I say?) and the trip became a group tour

Apart from seeking the blessings of lord Dattatray, my intention behind the visit was to test my own physical strength and perseverance in successfully reaching the topmost point in Gujarat. We all took up the formidable challenge and were thrilled to have once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Reaching Junagadh

Junagadh is well connected to the rest of the country via rail, road or air, though air connectivity is not direct. To reach Junagadh by air, you need to take a flight to the nearest Rajkot International Airport and then reach Junagadh by road that will take roughly around 2 hours. Since we didn’t want a split journey and also wanted to enjoy the journey together, we booked ourselves on to Saurashtra Janata Express (Train No. 19217) starting from Bandra Terminus station in Mumbai at around 01:40 p.m.

The sixteen hour journey seemed long enough, but thankfully didn’t bother us much as our group made the most of it. We chatted, cracked jokes, laughed our hearts out, played games. Boredom didn’t even touch us.

We reached Junagadh station at around 05:15 a.m. the next day. We had booked our stay well in advance and hence didn’t have to go through the hassle of finding accommodation in the early hours of the day. We had also booked our hotel in Bhavnath, a locality near the Girnar hills, so that we don’t spend a lot of energy walking up to the base before starting the ascend. Also, since we had planned to start the ascend in the wee hours of the night, it would have been difficult to find a transport till the base at that hour.

Reaching Bhavnath from Junagadh Junction took us around 16 minutes for a distance of 7.2 kms. We had to wake up the caretaker of the hotel to get our room keys since it was way too early for a check-in and the staff hadn’t arrived yet at work.

Once inside the rooms, we rested ourselves a bit and took a quick nap as train berths aren’t that cozy and the train jerks can leave you with a half-baked sleep. The much needed rest revitalized our energies and we were back on our feet for the first destination of our tour – Somnath Temple.

Somnath – The First Jyotirlinga

Somnath Temple in Veraval, Gujarat, is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas (holy shrines of lord Shiva) and is believed to be as old as the Mahabharata. An indirect mention of Somnath can be found in the Mahabharata and Bhagvat Purana where Prabhasa-Pattana (Prabhas Patan) is mentioned as tirtha (pilgrimage site)^#.

This site has a special significance in Indian history due to the fact that Somnath temple was demolished seventeen times by various rulers and foreign invaders in the past and despite that, the temple was resurrected bigger and stronger every time it was pulled down. Today it stands tall as a testimony to the unshakeable faith and determination of the people of India who believe in the greater good and the ultimate truth – the parmatma!

We had to hire a six-seater autorickshaw to reach Junagadh bus station as there is no direct transport from Bhavnath to Somnath. They are the most common modes of transport in and around Junagadh city and can take you anywhere within the perimeter of the city for approximately 20 to 30 Rs. per seat.

Once we were at Junagadh Bus Station, we had two options to make it to Somnath. One was to travel by the regular State Transport busses, which seemed not so convenient given their working conditions OR by air-conditioned busses that were comparatively better, but expensive considering we were seven of us.

Second option was to hire our own transport in the form of an autorickshaw or a private cab. The advantage with an autorickshaw is that you can bargain, which is not the case with a private cab like Ola or Uber. It was a no-brainer for us and we struck a deal with an autorickshaw driver. From the initial quote of around 2100, we bargained and pulled him down to 1800 INR. The bargain did came at a cost, since two of us had to adjust ourselves on both the sides of the driver seat, and that was not so comfortable!

The distance from Junagadh Bus Station till Somnath temple is around 94 kms. and took us around 2 hours to reach (with me and one of my friends sitting in an awkward position next to the driver on each side for most of the journey!). However, despite the discomfort, the autorickshaw journey to Somnath on the NH151 had a charm of its own! We even took a break in between to relish upon the famous Gujarati snack – Fafda Jalebi!

We expected a long queue outside the temple before we reached. However, we were taken by surprise to see much lesser visitors at the spot than expected! Probably, because the tourist season was still a month or two away.

The aura around the temple was palpable. Sitting at the edge of Gujarat and overlooked by the great Arabian sea, the beautiful structure with intricate carvings on the walls with pure gold adorning the shikhara (tower) of the temple was a sight to die for! The feeling was of pure bliss and peace inside. Alas, since mobile phones and cameras are not allowed, we couldn’t capture the beautiful moments. Nonetheless, the breathtaking views have been imprinted on our memories forever!

After seeking the blessings of lord Shiva, we exited the sanctum and accepted the Prasadam (grace) on our way out. We also bought some from the store for our families back home. We spent some relaxed time strolling on the walkway alongside the outer walls of the campus, admiring the vast blue waters and feeling the pleasant cool breeze that was so refreshing!

After an hour or so, we started back on our return journey to Junagadh. It was already past one o’clock in the noon and our stomachs had started growling. Lunch was still a few minutes away and hence we at least decided to beat the heat by relishing on some delicious ice-cream. Each one of us enjoyed their favourite flavours.

There are not many good options for the afternoon meal around the temple. Our autorickshaw driver (who by now had become a part of our troupe) suggested a place for lunch that was around half an hour’s drive from the temple and well known for the Gujarati Thali. We took the suggestion and left for the restaurant.

Well, the place and the food didn’t disappoint us and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, partly also because we were already famished! The place goes by the name Madhav Hotel and Restaurant (Hotel, because it has accommodation as well). The Thali cost us just Rs. 150/- per person and was unlimited too. What more could have we expected at that moment!

Due to the paucity of time, we didn’t visit one more place that we would have absolutely loved to – Dwarka (the island city setup by Lord Krishna). That place is also along the coast of Gujarat, but almost a 4 hour drive from Somnath.

It was already around 5:30 in the evening by the time we arrived back at the hotel at Girnar. The entire journey indeed was stressful for us, since we had barely slept the night earlier and had rested just for an hour after arriving in Girnar early morning. We threw ourselves on the bed and caught a wink for around 30-45 mins.

The Pursuit of Girnar

We decided to go easy on our appetite since we still had our bellies full from the afternoon lunch. So we just stepped out of the hotel and had a few samosas, a plate of Maggi noodles and a cup of coffee for our late evening meal. We also didn’t want to feel bloated or heavy before the ascend that night.

Back at the hotel after the meal, was time to relax and unwind a bit. We all gathered in one room (we had booked two) and spent time chitchatting on a lot of interesting topics. After having spent almost two hours, we decided to again catch a quick nap before we get ready for the adventure. It was almost 11 in the night when we laid our tired bodies down again for some rest.

We had decided to start the climb towards the top quite early in the morning to avoid the rush of other visiting pilgrims and with an intention to make it to the top by the first light of the day. The time decided for the start of the ascend was 2 a.m. in the night. Accordingly, we all got ourselves ready after a cold water bath (since the hot water is available only for an hour in the morning) at practically the midnight!

Once we were out on the street at sharp 2 a.m., we prayed to lord Dattatray for guiding us on the rest of the journey. With a strong determination and faith in the almighty, we set foot on the staircase that would lead us to the top.

The start was not that encouraging though. We were stopped by the guards outside the gate from where the ascend starts and were asked to empty our bags of all the plastic that we may be carrying. That meant that we would have to leave all the packaged drinking water we carried with us.

With no dinking water with us, we were already feeling skeptical about how long will we be able to hold without drinking water. However, the weather was not so hard on us and as we went along climbing one step after another, the temperatures started dropping.

We were passing through the forest in the wee hours without any security with us to protect ourselves. That was indeed courageous on our part. But the thrill of walking in the moonlight, far away from the chaos and the excitement of being one of the few to reach the summit before the first ray of sunlight, allowed us to put all our worries and anxieties behind.

We desperately needed to hydrate ourselves as we achieved an important milestone of 2500 steps towards the summit (which was just 1/4^th of the journey). Dehydration had stared creeping in and our limbs had started showing signs of giving up. Unfortunately, there was no drinking water facility anywhere along the route as all the refreshment stalls were also closed at that hour. But as they say, where there is a will, there is a way!

After climbing around 3000 steps, we came across a temple of the holy Mother Ganges. And true to her nature, the holy mother had ensured enough drinking water in stock for her thirsty children. We saw a steel jar filled with soothing cold drinking water. Each one of us drank to our health and we felt alive again! It felt like our bodies had been charged by a superfast charger, ready to cruise along the rest of the journey!

After climbing around 4500 steps, we made it to the 1st summit where a few Jain temples are located. The place was in complete darkness since the temples were closed. But the beauty of the structures was worth admiring even in the darkness.

The way to the summit involves climbing 9999 (almost 10000) steps, which is no mean feat. However, the team was determined to make it to the top without giving up. As we reached the 5000 steps milestone we saw a sudden change in the weather. Warm, humid air suddenly became chilly and dry. Winds started blowing strong. Beads of sweat suddenly felt like snow flakes glued to our faces.

From the Ambaji Mata temple, which is the 2nd summit, there is a descend of around 1000 steps and an ascend of 500 steps that is rather steep. At the end of it is the 3rd summit where we came across the Gotakhnath temple. We could even see the Akhand Dhuni (the eternal flame) next to the Shrine.

Our hands fell numb as we started the descend of around 1000 steps from the 3rd summit, with only our torches and partial moonlight guiding us on the further path. Our legs had started shaking now and we could feel the loss of energy as we climbed down.

After completing the last ascend of another 1000 approximate steps, we finally made it to the top of the 4th summit where the temple of lord Dattatray is located, by around 6 a.m. Despite being tired and sleepy, we were absolutely thrilled on our achievement and were also astonished to realize that it had taken us only 4 hours to the top, where the average time on the same route is anywhere between 5 to 6 hours!

We were blessed enough to make it for the first Aarti of the day. post which, we were allowed inside the temple. Once inside, the feeling was pure surreal! All the pain seemed to vanish in thin air, and all we could feel was inner peace! The pride we took in being triumphant was soon proved insignificant in presence of a supreme power. Such was an aura of that place!

The temple has a seated idol of lord Dattatreya and is believed to house his footprints. Devotees believe the lord himself resides in the temple and that makes it more sacred and one of the most sought after pilgrimage site. The top of the peak being narrow, the space inside the temple is quite limited to an extent that even five people can barely stand together! However, at a height of more than 4000 feet, surrounded by the surreal forests of Gir, the feeling is no less than being in heaven!

We sought our lord’s blessings and immediately turned back for the return journey. We also had to make place for the other devotees that followed.

The day had dawned upon us by the time we started back. The temple priest advised us to consume the Prasad at the Aashram that was approximately 1500 steps below the temple. We climbed down and consumed the prasad that included a cup of tea as well. It was so refreshing to have food after a rigorous drill! It ensured we have enough energy to make it back to the base.

The weather was still not very friendly as we made it back to the mid-point. However, it was nothing as compared to the torturous wind and cold from the previous night! The crowd had started pouring in by the time we reached Ambika Mata temple. And it was quite obvious, given the fact that the Ropeway had started operating by then.

We also decided to the take the ropeway for the remainder of the return journey, partially due to the fatigue and partially since we wanted to have the fun of riding a cable car at such a height! Since it was early morning and there was no rush for the return journey, we could easily get one. The ride cost us INR 400 per person.

The views from the ropeway were breathtaking and we were glad that we chose to take it. The top view of the forest that we crossed the earlier night and the surrounding hills was stunning and we could just not get enough of it!

We were back to the base in just 12 minutes by the ropeway, the same distance that took us 2 hours to cover the earlier night. Once at the base, we were all smiles, with a sense of fulfillment and heart full of gratitude and happiness! We were just hopeful when we started, but were victorious when we came back.

Drained of energies, we decided to skip the afternoon meal and have a brunch instead. Accordingly, we found a roadside food stall and had some quick snacks. Once back at the hotel, we crashed and slept like a baby!

The day ended with a small excursion to the Junagadh city in search of proper dinner options. Not that we were content with the quality of what we got, but at least we could try out something different than Samosas and Maggi Noodles.

Conclusion

We had booked the return journey on the same Saurashtra Janata Express that leaves from Junagadh at around the same time. The 16-hour long journey felt a bit longer this time, since we were returning back to the same old routine and the excitement was obviously a bit lower. But nonetheless, the experience was there to stay with us, for long.

We thanked the almighty for bestowing his blessings on us that made it possible for us to achieve our goal. Felt like we were destined for this! With enough memories in our kitty to relish upon, we reached our homes, promising each other another fun adventure together, with same excitement and same vigour!