The Holy Trail ►In Search of Salvation

India Abroad, April 15, 2011

Navin Shah, the doctor who helped pioneer a revolutionary ambulance service in India and winner of the India Abroad Community Service Award in 2007, makes a special pilgrimage of Jain holy shrines in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

At Palitana some 1,300 beautifully carved marble temples are located
on the tops of the Shatrunjaya hills

After my yearly India visit - to New Delhi and Mumbai - last February to look in on my projects which are focused on improving medical education and health care in India, I headed to my hometown Pune in Maharashtra. At the family got together, as I have done for the last 30 years, I detailed the progress of my projects. They were happy with the benefits achieved.

But my sister's daughter Supriya, a rather religious lady, asked me rather severely as to how long I would continue to pursue these medical projects. She sternly reminded me of my age and told me that it was high time I diverted my focus towards "the soul and spirit" and in achieving some enlightenment. She strongly suggested that I should, as a Jain, consider visiting ancient Jain shrines to worship and pray for my salvation. I did not argue with her but promised that I would carry out her wishes soon.

When I returned to Washington, DC, I recounted the episode to my emergency physician son Amit and requested him to identify 10 or 12 days in his schedule to accompany me on this pilgrimage. He came up with October 20 to 31st. I called my sister's son Hemant and requested him to arrange the trip. I also invited my brother's son Bharat to join us. Since Hemant and Bharat are based in Pune it was easy to plan the trip.

When we reached Pune the family was overjoyed - it was the first time I was venturing on a six-day pilgrimage.
The four of us set off on our journey on October 25 via Mumbai. The newly-built Pune-Mumbai highway made our journey swift and comfortable. By noon we were at Mumbai airport to catch the 2 pm flight to Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Mumbai airport resembled a massive bazaar with hordes of passengers zig-zagging in every direction. There were only a few gates for multiple flights. From jam-packed and chaotic gates the passengers were bused to the waiting aircraft. The flight was full. We reached Bhavnagar two hours later.

Our driver welcomed us with a bottle of cold water and took us to the first stop on our trip the Kanji Swami Jain center at Songhad, one hour away. At the center we met with a Jain scholar who made a brief presentation, followed by discussions, on Jainism. This was done at our request so we could familiarize ourselves with the basic philosophy and principles of Jain religion and its right practices.

The Hastagiri temple was built by the first Tirthankara Adinath's son Bharat to commemorate
his father's nirvana many centuries ago.

On day two we headed to the Shatrunjaya hills at Palitana. Some 1,300 beautifully carved marble temples are located on the tops of these hills. Accessing the shrines involved a climb of 3,900 steps (over three miles). Before the climb we prayed at the base temple.

After the prayers we were mobbed by a hordes of helpers - male and female - offering to carry our small bags or us from the base to the top in chairs each lifted by two men. These laborers have been serving pilgrims and earning their livelihood for generations in this manner.

None of us were keen to be lifted to the top of the hill, but were unable to short circuit this mob and ended up hiring an 18 year old named Kanchan to carry our small bag. Kanchan told us that she, her father and uncle (who ferried people to the hilltop in chairs for a living) have not had a single customer in the last five days and would starve if we did not help them.

She said she had three small brothers and sisters at home to feed. Kanchan wanted Rs 100 ($2) for taking our bag up and back down. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to reach the top. We made such good time because we started very early; after 9 am the heat makes the climb very difficult. We were advised by our host at Songhad to climb slowly and steadily without any rest stops.

Puja at the main temple at Palitana involved cleaning the gods
(the marble or metal statue of one of the 24 Tirthankaras) with milk
and water, applying saffron and sandalwood paste and offering flowers

During the climb I tried to chat with the shy Kanchan. I discovered that she had never been to school and could not read or write. She was able to count money. That was all she knew. For the last six years she followed the same routine: arriving every morning at the base of the Shatrunjaya Hills at 5 am to find a customer to help up the hill. She would be done for the day by 4 pm. Kanchan was a good guide and a strong climber. Every time, I got tired I asked her how far the temple was. She would always reply: "It's very near now."

She told me about her family, especially about her father and her uncle. They had been carrying pilgrims - usually the old, disabled or obese - for the last 30 years. She felt bad for her father as he was getting old and it was difficult for him to carry pilgrims. They had to work especially hard for eight months of the year as during the four months of the monsoon the temple was closed.

I stressed to her the need to learn to read and write from her younger brother and sister who were attending school. She promised that during the next monsoon season, she would attempt some basic reading and writing.

When we finally reached the top, before heading to the main temple (another 100 steps further) we bathed and changed in anticipation of the puja and aarti. Puja was about cleaning the god (the marble or metal statue of one of the 24 Tirthankaras) with milk and water, applying saffron and san-dalwood paste and offering flowers. Aarti, performed after puja and prayers in the morning and evening, involved singing hymns accompanied by the ringing of bells. The most auspicious hymn - NamoArihantanam - is sung by all Jains on a daily basis. This hymn offers reverence to all souls that have been liberated and also to those who are pursuing the path of liberati

The one-lane road between Mount Abu and Ranakpur had heavy traffic with lots of trucks. On the way we saw camel carts, colorful camel riders and many three-wheeler autos.

Clad in a fresh dhoti and khes (top) we reached the ancient temple of Adinath, where he preached his first sermon and later attained nirvana from this mountain. His son Bharat had established the first temple in his father's honor there. Adinath sits in the lotus position. The statue is 5.5 m high and 500 years old. It is also believed that 5,000 years ago Pandavas attained nirvana from this mountain.

Over the centuries the white marble massive main temple was renovated many times, last in 1587. Inside were a large number of exquisitely carved pillars, domes, arches, doors, statues of Tirthankaras and deities. It was difficult to imagine how such a colossal marble temple was built on top of a mountain or how they carried massive marble stones from quarries which were hundred miles away. The delicate, intricate and elaborate carvings depicted excellence of human imagination and craftsmanship.

The dates we had chosen to visit Palitana worked very much in our favor. It was off season and rather than just a few seconds for aarti and puja we had the place for a whole two hours to ourselves. Descending from the hilltop was strenuous at 1 pm. The weather had turned hot. We consumed water generously. As we came down Kanchan told me that she would start studying from her brother and sister right from today. I gave her four times the amount we had agreed upon. She had a big smile: "Aawjo (goodbye and come back)!"

By the time we reached the base at 2.30 pm, the lunch room was closed. After a few tries we found a tiny roadside eatery where we ate hesitantly. I took my precautionary Cipro antibiotic tablet.

After Palitana we headed to the Hastagiri temple on the banks of the Shatrunjaya river, 38 km away, along a narrow winding mountain road. Fortunately there was a tarred road from the base to the top. The temple there was built by Adinath's son Bharat to commemorate his father's nirvana many centuries ago. Near the ancient temple a magnificent new one was being constructed from marble for the last 30 years. It shall take a few more years to complete. This new shrine spreads across 102,400 square feet and was embellished with delicately carved pillars, domes and doors with all the 24 Thirthankaras statues for worship on display. Almost all Jain temples have a similar basic plan and architecture.

Hastagiri temple is located on the banks of the Shatrunjaya river and is 38 km away from the Palitana group of temples in Gujarat.

On day three of our pilgrimage we had plans to visit the Ghantakarn temple in Mahudi via the state capital Ahmedabad. The car was air-conditioned and roomy and our driver Ahmad had 30 years of experience. The national highway was a single-lane road, crowded with multiple types of fast and slow vehicles and you could not go beyond 40 miles an hour. Ahmad used the horn frequently, mainly as a defensive and safety mechanism. On the highway all vehicles made generous use of their horns; it was a loud multi-toned musical journey. Ahmad periodically used the horn even when there was no vehicle in sight. I suppose it was just an addiction.

The Ranakpur temple was built by a 32-year-old pious Jain nobleman
named Dharanasha in 1375. It took 63 years to build and 10 million
gold coins. Dr Navin Shah, left, with his son Dr Amit Shah

At Ahmedabad we inspected several restaurants and settled for lunch at a spacious clean looking place. They offered a fixed four-course meal - thali - served in sequence by multiple servers. The service was fast, frequent and always with different dishes. It was a gastronomic treat and set us back $4 per person!

We arrived in Mahudi two hours later where we prayed to the Jain deity Ghantakarn. After prayers we were served with freshly-made sweets. People from all over India flock to this temple. It is believed wishes come true if you offer prayers to Ghantakarn.

The next stop was the temple dedicated to Ambamataji, two hours away. Like Mahudi, Ambaji is a place where prayers make wishes come true. There were over 2,000 people waiting in a single line with barricades on both sides, that no one could break. It was rather scary and we felt unsafe but we patiently waited for our moment before Ambamataji. It was aarti time: bells were ringing, singers chanted prayers and a band providing the music - an exhilarating experience.

Our night stop was Mount Abu. We reached our hotel, Hilltone, at 10 pm after a harrowing ride. The journey to Mount Abu via a mountain road known as the ghat was frightening. It was narrow, steep, curvaceous, with a number of large trucks passing both ways. Our driver Ahmad masterfully negotiated the way to the top. I frequently prayed silently during the difficult ride.

The world-famous, exquisitely carved Dilwara Temples outside Mount Abu was the plan for day four. These five temples were constructed by different people during different periods. The first temple was established by Vimal Shah in 1088, a powerful minister in the court of a Chalukya king.   The history of these ancient temples goes back to Adinath's period. The last Tirthankara Mahivira visited this temple some 2,500 years to pray and meditate. The present temple took 14 years to build with the help of 1,500 artisans and 1,200 laborers at the cost of 186 million rupees. The carving on each of the 52 doors, pillars and ceilings were different in design, shape and details.   The temple was embellished with flawless, stunning designs. It was difficult to realize how human hands could have created such indescribable sculptured beauties in marble. Truly a miracle! The temple was damaged in 1368 by Alauddin Khilji, a sultan who ruled from Delhi in the 14th century, but renovated again.   We very peacefully and satisfactorily carried out puja and prayers. It really felt that the temple had some divine blessings.

Next we visited the Achalghad temple, four kilometers from the Dilwara temples. It was built 2,100 years ago in a walled fort. It was a tiring climb in the heat of the afternoon. After an hour we reached the top - 1,402 feet - and entered a magnificent temple. The temple had four Adinath statues placed in four sides of the center. The gods are made up five amalgamated metals including gold, silver, brass and copper, each weighing 26 tons. There are 18 metal idols of Tirthankaras in the temple. One wonders how such massive metal statues were made and installed at this height some 2,100 years ago. Only with heavenly help could mere mortals achieve such a remarkable feat!

After lunch we left Abu for Ranakpur. The one-lane road had heavy traffic with lots of trucks. On the way we saw camel carts, colorful camel riders and many three-wheeler autos. Each tiny three wheeler had some 15 passengers. It looked very unsafe but the passengers did not seem to feel that way and looked at ease.

All of a sudden traffic slowed. Horns from the various vehicles emitted shrill loud sounds. A truck had crashed on a single-lane bridge. Vehicles were lined up on both sides of the bridge. Ahmad very skillfully maneuvered our big car towards a muddy farm road overtaking large trucks within a few inches! We saw some cars crossing the farm and we followed those cars. The traffic stopped when another car got stuck in the mud. We got out of our car and helped push the other car out of the muddy track.

With a lot of muscle/will power the road was opened and we reached the main road after an hour's drive through the treacherous farm tract. We arrived at the Ranakpur temple by aarti time/7 pm. The temple was lit with oil lamps. Bells were ringing. Prayers were being sung by pilgrims. With peace and happiness we left the temple for our hotel planning to return the following day.

The next morning we were greeted by hordes of monkeys at the temple. The Ranakpur temple was built by a 32-year-old pious Jain nobleman named Dharanasha in 1375. It took 63 years to build and 10 million gold coins. The temple appeared in his dreams as a celestial space ship called Nalinigulum Dev Viman. He described his dream to his priest and later contacted multiple architects. Most of the architects laughed at his idea of making a temple as he saw it in his dream. At last he found a pious architect who created the dream temple on paper. Dharanasha was delighted to see on paper what had appeared in his dream.

The temple had 1,444 pillars covering 80,000 square feet area. The center of the main temple has four six-foot tall idols of Adinath facing in four different directions. An amazing aspect of the architecture was that one can look at Adinath from any place in the temple without obstruction by any of the 1,444 pillars.

Initially the plan was to build a seven-storey temple. By the time the third storey was completed all the project participants - Dharanasha, his priest and the temple architect - had reached old age because it took 63 years to build just three storeys. So the temple was inaugurated and a few months later Dharanasha died. Finally Dharanasha's brother completed the temple.

We were lucky that the priest, an 18th generation descendent of the first temple priest, could give us a detailed tour. When the temple was attacked by foreign invaders, the statues of the Tirthankaras were hidden in elaborate underground vaults.

Ranakpur was the last temple on our pilgrimage. Udaipur was just three hours away from where we planned to take a flight back to Mumbai. Amit wanted to sample a typical Rajasthani meal Dal-Batti and Gatte. We were given directions to a special restaurant.

It was around 3 pm and the restaurant was almost closed for lunch. Luckily we got what we wanted, ate without hesitation and with great delight and headed for the airport to catch a 6 pm flight that was delayed by two hours. We reached our hotel in Mumbai only at 11 pm.

Mumbai and our stay at JW Marriott hotel on the beach in Juhu, a northern suburb, was quite a contrast from the mood of the previous days. We went for a jog at 6 am and later had a buffet breakfast with 20 different dishes to choose from! No temple trips that day, but just a day to meet family and friends. The last call, just before departure, was made from the hotel to Supriya. I thanked her for her pilgrimage advice and described our visit. She happily remarked: "It was in your destiny. I was simply a reason."

On the flight home I felt victorious and happy. Amit had an upset stomach after all that Dal-Batti at Udaipur. I had offered him a Cipro tablet before the meal, but he had refused! When we had headed to India, in spite of all the homework and preparations, I was apprehensive. But now at the end of the trip I felt joyous and fulfilled. In the journey of life we are all pilgrims.