I've been here before, but wanted to return. The Shatrunjaya temple complex at the top of the hill outside Palitana is, I would argue, one of the best things to see in all of India. You only have to climb 3500 steps here, so it doesn't take as long as Junagadh, and the temples are far more impressive -- and you can buy a camera permit. You're not supposed to take photos of the idols, but both times I've visited a monk has attached himself to me and led me around to places where I can photograph the idols.

So I did.

It was scalding hot the day I was there and I arrived at near mid-day. I was the only person walking up. Everyone else had been there all morning and was walking down. A few people stopped me to ask why I was walking up at mid-day. It was 42 C, so it was a reasonable question.

And there is no food or water allowed on the hill, also unlike Junagadh, where there are snack stalls, tea stalls and places to sit and watch Bollywood DVDs on the way up. Here, you can only drink the water they sell from clay pots on the way up. I was a bit reluctant to drink it, but i was walking for something like five hours in 42 degree heat, so I did.

And I survived to tell the story.