VOLUME 5
INTRODUCTION
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Junagadh lies at the western foot of the over 60 million year old extinct volcanic intrusion of Mount Girnar, a compound of hills and valleys, 15 km in diameter and over one kilometre high at its maximum elevation. Girnar is described by Wakhaloo (1967) as one of the largest known volcanic domes in India. Ancient tools found in the basal foot hills of Mount Girnar have been dated to the mid-Pleistocene age and therefore show that this location was one of the earliest habitations of early man in India. Specific dates of this material range from 69,000 years BP (+ 3,800/– 3,600) to earlier than 95,000 years BP (Baskaran et al 1986, Marathe 1981, Marathe and Rajaguru 1981, 1982).
The connection of Mount Girnar with the idea of a discus-like thunderbolt seems particularly pertinent as there is a remarkable symmetry in the topography of the Girnar Compound. There is a central ridge of peaks from which radiate four ridges or spokes, meeting the peripheral ring of hills which may be thought of as the rim of a wheel, and the central peak as its axle. The wheel-like nature of Mount Girnar is also interesting as it is tempting to perceive the mountain precinct as the embodiment of Neminath, a name which implies the Lord of the rim of a wheel, or ‘Lord of the ring’. Nemi has always been connected with the divine discus-like thunderbolt weapon or vajra. For instance, synonyms of the word ‘vajra’ in the Nighantu, an ancient collection of Sanskrit terms, handed down from Vedic times, are listed first with ‘didyut’ meaning a flash of lightening, and second with the word Nemi. This vajra weapon was fashioned out of Dadhichi’s bones, which he gave up for the purpose, in order for the Devas to defeat the Asura Vritra, allowing Indra to reclaim his place as the King of Devlok. Dadhichi’s maternal uncle was Anarta, King of Kushasthali which in later times became known as Junagadh. In his Swayambhu Stotra, Acharya Samantbhadra (1st century AD) has written about Mount Girnar: ‘Indra himself marked the symbol of Bhagwan Neminath by his Vajra on your blessed land’ (Jainis.com 2009). Where else in India is there a place that topographically so beautifully complies with the image of Nemi as a vajra or chakra (a discus or circle enclosing a central cross), as Mount Girnar?
The Girnar Layered Complex comprises a series of layered gabbros and
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