Palitana

History at a glance

1. Legendary
   Adinath, the first Tirthankara, meditates beneath the rayan tree at the summit and delivers his first sermon there. Twenty-three of the twenty-four Tirthankaras sanctify the hill by their presence.
2. 11th century
   The earliest temples are built on the hill.
3. 16th century
   Most of the present marble structures are built or renovated.
4. 11th-20th centuries
   Temples continue to be added. The complex reaches 863 temples and, by Wikipedia's count, 2,700 monuments.
5. Mughal and Maratha periods
   One source says the hill was protected by the Jain community through these eras.
6. 2014
   Palitana becomes the first city in the world officially declared vegetarian, prohibiting the sale of meat, fish and eggs. One source records that the declaration came 'amid a flurry of controversy and complaints of communalism'.

Best time to visit