We visited the Indian city of Palitana, which in 2014 became the first legally vegetarian city on Earth! Here meat and eggs are illegal, as well as any activity involving their production. Find out more about our adventure ?
The mountainous city of Palitana in India is the world’s first vegetarian city. The sale of eggs and meat here is prohibited, as well as the slaughter of animals.
We decided to visit this secluded and little-known city to discover its beautiful temples (of which there are over 900 in Palitana!) and to find out more about the vegetarian religion of Jainism.
WHERE IS PALITANA?
The vegetarian city of Palitana is located in the western region of India – in Gujarat. On our trip there, we didn’t meet a single foreign tourist! This makes Palitana one of the true off the beaten trackdestinations in India.
The lack of foreigners isn’t that surprising though, considering Palitana is quite far away from the major tourist cities. To reach the closest major city, Mumbai, would take you 13 hours by car.
There are 3800 stone steps to climb before reaching Palitana. Climbing the steps can be quite difficult, particularly for older people because of the high temperature and long duration of the climb – which takes an hour and a half.
We clambered up the mountain quickly, but we saw many locals renting transport to the top and back. It was a chair carried by two Indian men.
WHAT IS JAINISM AND THE JAIN DIET?
Jainism is a peaceful, non-violent religion whose followers are strict vegetarians. Jains emphasize self-discipline and self-control with the goal of leading a peaceful life.
Jainism teaches against the consumption of meat and eggs, but consuming dairy products is allowed. Modern vegans will of course argue that consuming dairy products also harms animals.
However, the Jain vegetarian diet does include other aspects of animal conservation. For example, Jains don’t eat any vegetables that grow underground, such as potatoes, garlic, or onions – so as not to harm small insects or microorganisms. They also try to avoid destroying the entire plant by not harvesting it from its roots.
The Jains that we met were walking barefoot so as to minimize their chances of killing insects on the road. They also told us that for the same reason some of them don’t use any means of transport.
WHY IS PALITANA A VEGETARIAN CITY?
Palitana is considered one of the holiest cities for Jains because it’s the city where Adinatha, the religion’s first savior, is believed to have walked among the hills.
That’s why every devout Jain should visit Palitana at least once in his/her life.
In 2014, 200 Jain monks decided that they’d rather die than continue tolerating the slaughter and consumption of animals within the city.
In June, 2014 they started a hunger strike, threatening to continue until they die, unless the government declares the city a “meat free zone.”
In August, 2014 the Gujarat government banned the sale of meat and eggs, as well as the slaughter of animals within the city.
WHO DIDN’T LIKE THE LAW?
The law wasn’t passed without complaints from some groups – mainly Muslims, butchers, and fishermen who live in the city.
Muslims protested against the new law which they said went against their right to consume meat.
Many in the meat industry also took a stand against the law because they lost their jobs that they worked at for many years.
The government’s decision is also questioned by many who don’t think that it’s the government’s place to tell people what they can or can’t eat, and that religion shouldn’t be involved in politics. And what do you think?
If you’re interested in learning more about legal news involving vegans then read our article: Huge Win for Vegans – Court Rules that Veganism is a Philosophical Belief!
And if you want to know more about veganism and the vegan philosophy then take a look at: Vegan Diet – Beginners Guide (2020).
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Author: Martina Beg