It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre for Jains.

Ādinātha, the first of the Jain tirthankaras, is said to have meditated on the Shatrunjaya hill, where the Palitana temples were later constructed.

[citation needed] In 1656, Shah Jahan's son Murad Baksh (the then Governor of Gujarat) granted the village of Palitana to the prominent Jain merchant Shantidas Jhaveri.

[citation needed] During the British Raj, Palitana was a princely state in the Kathiawar Agency of the Bombay presidency.

Kumarpal Solanki, a great Jain patron, probably built the earliest temple.

Belief Every devout Jain aspires to climb to the top of the mountain at least once in his lifetime, because of its sanctity.

The walk up the stone stairway hewn into the mountain face takes about an hour and a half.

The descent must begin before it is evening, for no soul can remain atop the sacred mountain during the night.

The nearest airport at Bhavnagar lies at a distance of 51 kilometres from Palitana, with daily flights to Mumbai, Surat and Ahmedabad, 215 kilometres away by road, has an international airport with regular flights to many important cities.

The total journey time to Una or Diu is around 6 hours as the roads are in good condition.