Palitana State

Origins

Palitana was ruled by a branch of the Gohil Rajputs, the clan that also ruled Bhavnagar State; the Gohils entered Saurashtra in the 13th century, and tradition gives Palitana's line an early date. Firm records are mainly from the 17th century onward.

Rule and society

The state's fame came from Shatrunjaya hill, covered with Jain temples built over many centuries by merchant patrons. The Thakore levied payments on pilgrims, which led to long disputes with the Jain community's trust, Anandji Kalyanji. British officials brokered a series of agreements in the 19th century fixing an annual sum paid by the Jains.

Decline and legacy

Palitana joined the United State of Saurashtra in 1948 and is now a town in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. Shatrunjaya remains a major pilgrimage centre.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.