Lay Followers
The Pilgrimage Climb
तीर्थयात्रा की चढ़ाई · તીર્થયાત્રાનું ચઢાણ
Thousands of steps up a holy hill, and the one he almost forgot to count
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
Ten year old Krish sets out with his family before dawn to climb Shatrunjay hill at Palitana for the first time. He plans to count every step and reach the top first, but his grandmother is climbing too.
What it teaches Pilgrimage Devotion Patience
The opening of the children's telling
Krish woke up very early, when it was still dark. Today was a special day. His family was going to climb a holy hill called Shatrunjay, at Palitana. At the very top was a temple of Bhagwan Rishabhdev, whom everyone lovingly calls Dada Adinath.
There were thousands and thousands of steps. "I will count them all," said Krish, "and I will be first to the top!" He began to run. One, two, three, four... But soon his legs were tired, and he had to sit down.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A pilgrimage is measured not by how fast we climb but by how we climb together.
To talk about together
When have you slowed down to help someone, and how did it feel?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.