Lord Neminath, also called Arishtanemi, the 22nd Tirthankara, became an ascetic after he saw that animals tied up to be slaughtered for the feast on his wedding were crying and screaming to be released.

[1] Girnar was anciently called Raivata or Ujjayanta, sacred amongst the Jains to Neminath, the 22nd Tirthankara, and a place of pilgrimage since before 250 BCE.

Some 16 Jain temples are grouped on the ledge at the top of the great cliff along the west face of the hill, and are all enclosed.

The Neminath temple was rebuilt completely by Sajjana, the governor of Saurashtra appointed by Jayasimha Siddharaja of Solanki dynasty, in 1129 CE.

[7] The roof of the gudhamandapa (principal hall) in front of the mulaprasada is supported by 22 square columns of granite.

[8] A new second mandapa (outer hall) was added to the west of the gudhamandapa in 17th century in place of the previously existing pau-mandapa.

[11][2][3] The court is surrounded inside by 67 shrine cells, each enshrining a marble image on a bench, with a covered passage running round in front of them.

Based on its architecture, Dhaky dates the temple to 15th century and notes that it is mentioned as Kharataravasahi built or restored by Bhansali Narpal Sanghavi in the old itineraries by Jain monks.

[15] According to an anecdote by modern Jain writers, Sajjana, the minister of Chaulukya king Siddharaja Jayasimha, built the Neminatha temple using the state treasury.

[14] Sahastraphana (thousand hooded) Parshwanatha, the image which was consecrated in 1803 CE (VS 1459) by Vijayajinendra Suri, is currently the central deity in the temple.

It is known that Karmachandra Bachchhavat, minister of the king of Bikaner, had sent a funds to renovate temple in Shatrunjaya and Girnar under Jinachandrasuri IV of Kharatara Gaccha during the reign of Akbar.

It contains a large white marble figure of Parswanatha bearing the date 1803 CE with the polycephalous cobra over him whence he is styled Seshphani.

Based on the literary, epigraphic and architectural evidence, Madhusudan Dhaky concluded that the temple belongs to 15th century and was built by Purnasinha Koshthagarika (Punsi Kothari).

The part of the original temple was destroyed by the 18th century and appears to have been restored in 1824 CE by Hansraja Jetha which is known from the inscription.

The shrine contains three images; in the middle Abhinandana Swami dedicated in 1838 and on either side Adinatha and Sambhavanatha dated 1791.

[20][21] On either side of this central temple, there is a large hall about 38 feet 6 inches from door to door, each containing a remarkable solid pile of masonry called a samovasarana, that on the north side named Sumeru having a square base, and the other Sameta Sikhara with a nearly circular one.

Each rises in four tiers of diminishing width almost to the roof and is surmounted by a small square canopy over the images.

Near it is another ruined shrine in which delicate granite columns rise from the corners of the sinhasana, or throne carved with many squatting figures.

[27] South of this, and 200 feet above the Jain temples on the way to the first summit, is the Gaumukhi shrine, near a plentiful spring of water.

An inscription dated Vikram Samvat 1249 (1192 CE) mentions minister Vastupala's pilgrimage to Ambika temple.

Jinharshasuri mentions that Vastupala and his brother Tejapala visited as well as built the large mandapa of the temple and parikara of Ambika.

[28][29] A praśasti eulogy given at the end in a golden lettered copy of Kalpasutra dated Vikram Samvat 1524 (1468 CE) mentions that a Shreshthi (merchant) named Samal Sah restored and renovated the Ambika temple on Girnar.

Below it and on the verge of the cliff is a smaller tank of water and near it a small canopy supported by three roughly hewn pillars and a piece of rock containing a short octagonal stone called Hathi pagla or Gajapada, the elephant foot, a stratum on the top of which is of light granite and the rest of dark the lower part is immersed in water most of the year.