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NOV · KARTIK · PARIKRAMAGirnar Parikrama
Once a year in Kartik, tens of thousands walk the Lili Parikrama — a 36-kilometre circuit through the forests around Mount Girnar, a moving river of pilgrims, fires and folk devotion.
The green circuit of Girnar
The Girnar Lili (“green”) Parikrama is a great annual pilgrimage: a roughly 36-kilometre circumambulation of the sacred mountain through its forested foothills, undertaken over several days in the month of Kartik. Vast crowds walk together, camping along the route, cooking over open fires and singing bhajans through the night. Part pilgrimage, part folk festival, it is one of Saurashtra’s most stirring communal events.
A walk around a holy mountain
The parikrama is walked in Kartik, beginning traditionally on Kartik Sud Ekadashi and running to the full moon — the same auspicious window that carries melas across Saurashtra.
It sets off from Bhavnath, at the foot of Girnar near Junagadh, where the Bhavnath Mahadev temple marks the traditional starting point.
The route runs roughly 36 km through the forested foothills, crossing streams and passing shrines, with pilgrims camping at fixed halts along the way.
It closes back at Bhavnath, the mountain having been encircled — the point of a parikrama being to honour the whole rather than climb to one summit.
Why come
36 km walk
The circuit goes around the mountain rather than up it, so the summit temples are not part of this particular pilgrimage.
Forest path
The route passes through the Girnar forest, part of the greater Gir landscape, which is why it is called the Lili — green — Parikrama.
Night camps
Pilgrims camp at the halts, cooking over open fires, and the smell of woodsmoke along the route is part of what people remember.
Deep faith
Numbers run into the hundreds of thousands over the days it lasts, moving as a continuous column through the hills.
Sacred Girnar
Girnar is sacred to Hindus and Jains alike, and both traditions have temples on the mountain and walk the circuit.
Folk life
Bhajan and dayro carry through the night at the camps, and few people sleep much.
What to see
THE WALKParikrama
A continuous column of pilgrims moving through the forest over several days.
THE MOUNTGirnar
Girnar itself — revered for more than two thousand years, its rock carrying Ashokan edicts at the foot.
How it unfolds
Start at Bhavnath
Start at Bhavnath, the traditional head of the route, where the crowds gather before setting off.
Walk the circuit
Walk the forest sections in the early morning, the coolest hours and the best light through the trees.
Camp on the route
Stop at the halts to rest and cook, as the pilgrims do; the camps are as much the experience as the walking.
Sing through the night
Sit in on the bhajan and dayro at night, which run at the camps until the small hours.
Share the langars
Use the free food stalls — annakshetras run by volunteers line the route and feed everyone walking it.
Complete the round
Finish the full circle back at Bhavnath. Completing it is the point, and the walk is genuinely hard in places.
A mountain sacred to many
Girnar’s slopes and summit carry ancient Hindu and Jain temples, and the mountain has been revered for well over two thousand years — its rock even bears edicts of the emperor Ashoka. The parikrama lets pilgrims honour the whole mountain at once, encircling it on foot in a tradition that binds faith, community and the forest together.
For everything else the district holds, see our Junagadh travel guide.
Timing
The annual walk.
Cool for the climb.
Lush but slippery.
⏰ The Lili Parikrama is held once a year in Kartik (November) and runs over several days; expect very large crowds.
Getting there
By Air
Rajkot / Keshod.
By Rail
Junagadh (~6 km).
By Road
To Bhavnath / Girnar.
More in Junagadh
MAHA SHIVRATRI
Bhavnath Mela
Sadhus, naga ascetics and all-night bhajans at Girnar’s foot. Explore →
FOLK
Music & Dandiya
Junagadh keeps the folk beat of Saurashtra alive — dandiya-raas and garba, the soulful dayro of Kathiyawadi singers, and dhol-driven nights where whole towns dance in ring after spinning ring. Explore →
WILD
Lion Country
Junagadh is the old gateway to lion country — the princely city whose Nawab first shielded the last Asiatic lions, and the doorstep to the Gir forest where they still roam. Explore →
SUMMER
Kesar Season
Each summer the orchards around Junagadh and Talala turn golden with Gir Kesar — the saffron-hued “queen of mangoes,” a GI-tagged fruit whose fragrance defines the season. Explore →
What to eat
LANGARLangar Food
Free along the route.
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
Hearty and spicy.
ROTLOBajra Rotlo
With butter.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Girnar Parikrama FAQ
What is the Girnar Parikrama?
A great annual pilgrimage that circumambulates Mount Girnar on foot — about 36 km through its forested foothills.
When is it held?
Once a year in the month of Kartik (November), over several days.
How long is the walk?
Roughly 36 kilometres, usually completed over a few days with overnight camps.
Why is it called "Lili" Parikrama?
"Lili" means green — it passes through the green forest around the mountain.
Is it difficult?
It is long and crowded but broadly walkable; go prepared for camping and large numbers.
Where does it start?
Traditionally from Bhavnath at the foot of Girnar.
Across Gujarat
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CITYRace Course
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WILDLIFESakkarbaug Zoo
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026