This morning I awoke feeling a little ill and reeking of an Indian anti-bug preparation. I guess there had been a pest problem in the room and the managers had doused it liberally. My breakfast *dosa* was a religious experience. The crispy handkerchief sized crepe was full of everything delicious. It was to be a rather short riding day. The longest stretch of which seemed to be getting out of nasty smoggy Bhavnagar. Once we were off the main road the terrain rolled and was sometimes smooth. After a short time we were rolling into Palitana. Riding amongst the thousands of pilgrims we went in search of the guesthouse our friends in Ahmedabad had recommended.
When we finally found it we were instructed that it was only for families and that we didn't qualify. Our search led us back to the other side of town to the GTDC hotel where we found a simple, cheap and comfortable room. The main attraction of Palitana is the huge mountain that looms over it. For the last thousand years or so Indians have made their religious pilgrimage here to climb the 3800 steps and worship in the temple complex atop the peak. Many come for weeks at a time in order to climb the peak 108 times (a mystical number for both the Jains and the Hindus).
Some of the fitter young folk race up the mount as many as four times in a day. As we climbed women sprinting up the steps passed us, sweating through their saris. Altogether different types of pilgrims come as well. These normally obese or aged Jains are carried up the mountain by either two or four porters, depending on their size and wealth. The cost is just over a dollar per porter for the hour-long journey. They come and are taken up the hill because they have taken a vow to visit Palitana every year for their entire lives. The porters help them keep that vow.
Atop the mount are over eight hundred shrines honoring Jain gods with special emphasis on Kali. The ornately carved temples cover the top of the mountain within a wall that protects them. We arrived at the complex by the back door, having opted to take the quieter staircase for the last part of the climb. In the corner of the complex is an odd Muslim shrine. It marks a burial place that has special healing powers. On the grave people leave votive tokens representing the body part with which they have trouble in the hopes that the spirit will bring them back to health.
The place of worship feels Catholic rather than Muslim. The Muslims at the site invited us to tea and shared coconut with us before we headed off to the Jain temples. We sneaked in the back door avoiding having to get a permit for our camera. It was odd: though we'd seen literally thousands on the steps on the way up the temple complex seemed empty. Where was everyone? After over an hour of exploring we found we were being herded towards the door. The temples and mountain must be vacant at dark lest the gods be angered. Racing down the seemingly endless stairs we found ourselves to be ravenous.
The antidote was to snack our way through: a *dosa* here, a *samosa* there. Now the throngs of worshippers were milling about the streets eating and shopping like us. As darkness set upon Palitana we came across a truck full of what looked like bread being unloaded into a storage room. When we asked what it was we were told they were loaves of raw sugar to be mixed with noodles and eaten for breakfast. A healthy chunk of the sugar was broken off and passed down to us to sample. It made a perfect desert. Back at the hotel I'd promised a multi-gear-system demonstration for the hotel workers.
A crowd of 12 looked on as I had the manager shift while the front desk clerk pedaled. They were fascinated by the difference in effort between gears and how the derailers worked. Even after I locked the bikes for the night the audience stood staring at the marvelous machines in utter awe. I wouldn't be surprised if we found them still gawking there tomorrow.