My wife is a Jain, I am not. This was a pilgrimage for her and initially I was reluctant to join her. But later I realised that it was indeed a unique place and decided to join her, which was an excellent decision.
We stayed at Bhavnagar, but there are plenty of Dharamshalas in Palitana town as well, if you are on a budget. It took us 1 hour to reach from Bhavnagar.
One can take the car pretty close to the main gate
I had planned to start the hike just before sunrise and return before mid-day sun to avoid the heat, but got delayed by taking too many stops on the way up to take snaps. .
I had downloaded an app prepared by a Jain lady, which was good for background info but was not too helpful for practical info, like toilets etc. Worth getting as not that expensive.
The only annoying part of the whole day was that as soon as we got off the car we were swarmed by Doli-walas repeatedly asking for our custom. I know that they were doing that for a living, but if you are not used to Indian way of life , you'll find that annoying and intimidating.
Just walk straight without bothering to comment or even have any eye contact. No one tried to snatch anything from us. As soon as you enter through the main gate and climb a few steps they give up.
If you want a doli then you need to go to the office, to the left before the gate, to get a permit. I found it surprising to see some reasonably fit looking men being carried in dolis.
Ideally one should do it barefoot but not compulsory. No shoes or leather goods are allowed inside the main temple complex. Please show respect and do not take photo of idols inside the temples. You can take as many photos of the exterior as you wish.
The climb itself is not too bad. Any fit young person can do it non-stop in 2-2.5 hours. We took longer for photo stops. The steps are nicely spaced and have been painted so they do not reflect heat too much.
There are fairly long stretches of flat sections between steps, so it is not continuous climbing.
There is water freely available on many stops on the way up. You can carry your own water but not allowed to drink inside the main complex. They even have free buttermilk available just outside the complex.
There are several peaks and the road bifurcates about two third way up with the main road going to the left towards Ram Pole ( main gate) while the left one follows a secluded path towards the highest peak ( nava tunk). I suggest you take the right path as it is far less crowded and gives a fantastic view of the main complex of Adinath swami's temple from a vantage point. The architecture of the temple complexes was a bit different.
I have got to say this is indeed a very impressive complex and the climb up was lovely with sun gradually rising over the hills and misty Shatrunjay river. I was amazed to think ho much trouble did the devotees take to carry all those stone blocks up. The designs are not very intricate and temples look the same after a while, but the sheer size of the complex is mind-boggling. There is a queue to do the worship. It was a fairly busy area and I guess during Jan festivals it will be lot busier.
I'm not a very religious person but even I was moved by the entire experience.
There are some toilets up there, outside the main complex. Not Western style. The condition of the toilets was not brilliant but if you are desperate they will do. On the way up there are no toilets and behind the bushes is your only option.
By the time we were ready to start our descent it was late and the sun did roast us nicely. No shade at all. I actually found the descent more painful and calf muscles protested.
Near the base you'll find a very impressive big temple with the history of Jainism nicely depicted by paintings and murals.
And the tradition is to eat Bhel and drink Chaans ( buttermilk) after the descent.
It was a photographer's delight and I enjoyed the day very much and of course my wife had all her sins absolved.