Sasan Gir Temples

This is a tourist center for followers of Lord Vishnu in Una sub-district of Junagadh District. Situated in the center of Gir, 30 km from the town of Una, it is known for its great natural beauty. It has additional attraction of Hot Water springs and in the Puranas these are referred to as 'Taptodak'. Legend says that Lord Krishna eliminated the demon called Tul and so the place is associated with his name along with that of Krishna as Shyam and is thus called Tulsishyam. A story from the Puranas says that a demon called Jalandhar had great strength. His wife Vrinda was a very pious lady. No one in the three Loks (Worlds) could defeat Jalandhar and so even the gods were now tired of him. They appealed to Lord Vishnu for this, and the Lord assumed the form of the demon and went to his wife Vrinda and thus her 'pativrata' status came to an end. As the demon returned the trick was revealed to her and she cursed the Lord to turn into a stone. But she regretted her anger and so sat on a funeral pyre and burned herself to death. Lord Vishnu also regretted that he had resorted to such a trick on her to punish her husband. At the site of the pyre a plant of Tulsi had come up, and Lord Visnhu now began to shower his love over it. He promised that he will marry her in her next birth. Then Vrinda was born as Rukmini and she married Lord Krishna who was the Avatar of Lord Vishnu. This is why it is said that the Tulsi plant is very dear to Lord Vishnu and it acquired another name, Vishnupriya. On the 11th day of bright half of Kartik month, Tulsi marries Lord Shaligram, and on this day the 'Annakuta' is distributed. This place also has a temple of mother Kunti.

This temple is said to be seven hundred years old. You need to climb around 100 steep steps to reach up to this temple of Rukshmanidevi. Rukshmani was the chief wife of Lord Krishna. The statue of Rukshmani is made of black marble and is around 2 feet tall. The small statue of Lord Krishna is also kept near the main statue of Rukshmanidevi. The temple offers very peaceful environment and the tourists love to sit here quietly for some time. There are three hot water springs at Tulsi Shyam. The first spring is has warm water. The second one has slightly hot water. But the third one is has boiling water. The steam can be seen coming out of the water from the third spring. Visitors take bath in these water springs to get rid of their skin diseases. However, one must be careful while taking a bath in the spring having boiling water as they may get the skin burns.

In the heart of the jungle, 50 kms from Sasan Gir, there is a shrine to Kankai Mata, the benefactor of the shepherds of Gir forest.  A supremely wild place, here you can hear lions roar at night and animals gathering at the nearby lake. There is a bus from Junagadh every morning that leaves at 8 am, stays one hour at the temple, and departs on the return journey at 9:45 am. But to really experience the place, go for a private transport and stay the night. The high temple walls ensure your safety, and once night falls, you can watch the stars through the jungle treetops, hear lions roaming outside and experience a night in the true wilderness.

Tourists coming to Junagadh would be enchanted by its numerous temples, forts and museums. Amongst the holy places in Junagadh, the Temple of Mallinath, Junagadh deserves a special mention. As Junagadh is well linked to other key locations of Gujarat via regular bus services, reaching this temple would not pose any problem. The credit of the construction of Temple of Mallinath, Junagadh, Gujarat, India goes to two brothers named Vastupal and Tejpal. Junagadh Temple of Mallinath was erected in 1177 by this duo. Actually the Junagadh Temple of Mallinath is a triple temple. The exteriors of this temple are exquisitely carved and present a stunning sight to behold. At this temple, you would be able to get a captivating insight into Jain religious rituals. Akin to a Hindu temple, pilgrims at this place also offer leaves, fruit, flowers, vermilion, sandalwood paste and grains to the deity, amidst ringing of the bells and chanting of mantras. Once the pooja gets over, these devotees adorn their foreheads with liberal daubs of vermilion as well as sandalwood paste. A generous amount of money is also offered for the upkeep of the shrine.

Tourists coming to Junagadh would be captivated by its various museums, temples and forts. In the category of the holy places in Junagadh, the Temple of Gorakhnath, Junagadh merits a special mention. As buses ply regularly between Junagadh and other key locations of the state of Gujarat, you would be able to reach this temple without any trouble. The Temple of Gorakhnath, Junagadh, Gujarat, India is an ancient temple. However, no comprehensive records are found till date to establish the date of its construction. Junagadh Temple of Gorakhnath is positioned at the Girnar Hill in the district of Junagadh, Gujarat. Girnar Hill lies about 5 kms to the east of Junagadh. The presiding deity at this temple is Lord Gorakhnath. In the vicinity of this beautiful temple, you would get the chance to see several other Hindu temples along with a number of Jain temples.