secret places in the mountains of Girnar
There are many caves and hidden secretive places in the glorious mountains of Girnar, due to which one can deduce that the Girnar mountains are quite hollow in many spots. Many saints, spiritual gurus, self realized sages, mystics, spiritual seekers, tantric ascetics and noble souls have made Girnar their abode and have achieved varied and significant spiritual accomplishments.
Even today, it is known that many august personalities are consumed in spiritual practices in order to achieve self realization, here in the caves of Girnar. Their age is an astounding 100-200-300 or even several hundred years! References can be found in Jain as well as non Jain scriptures that refer to the presence of benevolent guardian spirits like Yakshas and such other souls residing in Girnar.
Miraculous stories and extraordinary snippets from the lives of these saints, spiritual gurus, self realized sages and benevolent spirits are still being told by the locals of this region. Presented here are a few of such anecdotes.
Even today, it is known that many august personalities are consumed in spiritual practices in order to achieve self realization, here in the caves of Girnar. Their age is an astounding 100-200-300 or even several hundred years! References can be found in Jain as well as non Jain scriptures that refer to the presence of benevolent guardian spirits like Yakshas and such other souls residing in Girnar.
Miraculous stories and extraordinary snippets from the lives of these saints, spiritual gurus, self realized sages and benevolent spirits are still being told by the locals of this region. Presented here are a few of such anecdotes.
- According to Gorji Kantilalji, a local from Junagadh, once some folks from Junagadh went to the Gaddhesinh hills, gathered Gadhaiya coins, tied them in a bundle and reached a place called Bordevi. They disturbed the tantric ascetic living there due to their presence and thus angered him. As he got livid, some people lost their mental balance and died on the spot, some others who managed to flee lost their lives en route, while the remaining died upon reaching Junagadh.
- Gorji Kantilalji also used to say that once Harnathgar, a tantric ascetic living in the stone chatti area of Girnar abducted a Brahmin’s son and cannibalized him. In search of his son, that Brahmin reached Girnar but could not find him. Overcome with grief, he started praying intensely in order to invoke the presiding gods of Girnar. The Brahmin’s anguish and desolation invoked the presiding deity of the Vardatt peak and with his help the Brahmin’s son was brought back to life. Thereafter, the presiding deity battered the tantric ascetic causing him to lose a leg. Several other tantric ascetics left Girnar after this incident.
- Once a noble soul was meditating in the underground cellar of Lord Amizhara Parshwanath and the door of the cellar was locked by the temple priest. After sometime, he witnessed a divine flash of light descending from the sky and from within that ray of light eventually two Jain ascetics were seen emerging. They devotionally offered their prayers for some time and swiftly returned the way they had come.
- A Jain monk, doing the holy Girnar’s 99 pilgrimages accidently happened to enter a divine cave, where he saw a composed, well – built and dignified saint. The saint described the glory and eminence of this magnificent mountain, Girnar to the stated Jain monk.
- A devout family from Ahmedabad had led a huge congregation of pilgrims to Girnar. Hearts filled with devotion and enthusiasm, they showered Lord Neminath with different superior liquids alongside the most exquisite ornaments. At that time, huge droplets of water trickling down from the walls of the temple. Even Lord Neminath’s idol despite being wiped thrice, remained wet. Finally the rituals were carried out on the wet idol only.
- Once several devotees were meditating in the rest room located in the campus of the main temple, when a continuous sound of the ring of the huge bell fell on their ears. After the closure of the main temple some Jain nuns were engrossed in meditating near the small temple of Goddess Ambika adjoining the main temple. They clearly heard sweet and delightful sounds of music and dance with divine instruments for a continuous span of about 45 minutes.
- In the Kartik month of Vikram Samvat 2031, a faithful devotee performed the ritual of showering Lord Neminath with water and also carefully dried the idol completely with a customized white cotton cloth (Angluchhna), but as he proceeded with the next ritual, 4 bowls full of divine water miraculously dripped down from the Almighty’s feet.
- Due to the magical effect of the vivid medicinal herbs available on this holy mountain, previously man y great sages obtained the power to fly and could thus easily pay homage at different places.
- Once, an ascetic residing here was burnt alive, but the English Governor of Kolkata of that time was bewildered to see him easily stepping out of the raging flames.
- Sages living in the secret caves of Girnar come out on the day of Mahashivratri and leave the people spellbound by demonstrating their miraculous powers.
- Even today, many such saints come out of their caves only once a year, on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri to pay homage at the Bhavanath temple. They then dive into the Murgi Kund for a bath and are never seen coming out. (It is believed that they take the form of subtle body not visible to the naked eye and reach their original destination.)
- A sage discovered a strange potion in the dense forests of Girnar and filled it in his wooden vessel. On his journey, he halted at a jeweller’s house for the night and proceeded the next morning. In the jeweller’s house all those places which had directly come in contact with the sage’s potion, miraculously transferred to gold. Realizing this, spellbound jeweler immediately left in searth of the sage, but in vain.
- Once a woodcutter, cutting trees in Ratanbaug, accidently hit a monkey with his axe, as a result of which the axe fell into a nearby pond and to his surprise, turned to gold. The woodcutter left a marking on that place and returned the next day. But he could not find the marking and eventually lost his way.
- In the dense and mysterious forests, a special type of plant which extracts milk can be found. If 3– 4 drops of this milk are mixed with normal milk, then within a matter of 3 – 4 minutes the milk turns to curd.
- Some pilgrims ascending Girnar, broke the branch of a tree and brushed their teeth. After sometime, all their teeth fell off.
- If the roots of a particular plant which exists here are cooked and consumed, the person does not feel hungry for as long as 6 months.
- People worshipping Lord Neminath with utmost devotion and dedication make their human life fruitful. They achieved control over temptations of the 5 senses and experience detachment from this material world. Many noble souls, wishing to walk on the glorious path of renunciation visit this holy place, overcome obstacles they face by the faithful reverence of the life-long celibate Lord Neminath
