Ashokan Rock Edicts Junagadh: History and a Visitor Guide
The Ashokan Rock Edicts in Junagadh are the 14 major rock edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, inscribed around 250 BCE in Brahmi script on a massive granite boulder on the way to Mount Girnar. The same rock also carries later inscriptions of Rudradaman I and Skandagupta. The site is open daily, about 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, for around Rs 20.
On the road to the sacred mountain of Girnar, a giant boulder carries words carved more than two thousand years ago by one of India's greatest emperors, a message of peace and tolerance that still speaks today. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, covers the history of the Ashokan Rock Edicts, what they say, the later inscriptions on the same rock and how to visit.
About the Ashokan Rock Edicts
The Ashokan Rock Edicts of Junagadh are a set of 14 major rock edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, inscribed around 250 BCE on a single massive granite boulder, located on the route to Mount Girnar, about 4 km from Junagadh Junction. They are among the most important and best-preserved of Ashoka's many edicts across the subcontinent and are protected inside a dedicated shelter maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India as a Monument of National Importance. Written in the ancient Brahmi script in the Prakrit or Pali, language, the edicts set out Ashoka's philosophy of Dharma, his code of moral and compassionate living, carved in stone for all his people to read. To stand before this rock is to stand before one of the oldest written records in India, a direct message from an emperor who ruled over two thousand three hundred years ago.
The Ashokan Rock Edicts at a glance
Monument | 14 major rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka |
Date | Around 250 BCE, the Mauryan era |
Script and language | Brahmi script, in Prakrit or Pali |
Location | On the Girnar road, about 4 km from Junagadh Junction |
Timings | About 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily |
Entry fee | About Rs 20 for Indian citizens |
The history and discovery of the edicts
The edicts were carved around 250 BCE, during the reign of Ashoka the Great of the Maurya empire, who after the bloody Kalinga war embraced a path of non-violence and Dharma and had his teachings inscribed on rocks and pillars across his vast empire. The Junagadh rock, near the old capital of the region, was one such place. Over the centuries the meaning of the edicts was lost, until the rock was rediscovered in 1822 by the British officer and scholar Colonel James Tod. The Brahmi script in which they were written could not then be read, but in 1837 the great scholar James Prinsep deciphered the ancient script, using these and other edicts and in doing so was able to establish Ashoka as a genuine historical figure, one of the great moments of Indian historical scholarship. The protective building around the rock was built in 1900 by Nawab Rasul Khan of Junagadh and later repaired, preserving this priceless monument for future generations.
What the edicts say: Ashoka's message
The 14 edicts set out Ashoka's philosophy of Dharma, a code of ethical, compassionate and tolerant living, addressed to all his subjects whatever their faith. Their core teachings include:
Non-violence. The edicts prohibit the slaughter of animals and animal sacrifices, promoting ahimsa or non-violence and reverence for all life.
Welfare. They outline provisions for the welfare of both humans and animals, including medical care, the planting of trees, the digging of wells and the building of rest houses and shelters along the roads.
Religious tolerance. They promote respect and tolerance for all religious sects and value inner moral purity and good conduct over empty outward rituals, a remarkably enlightened message for any age.
In the edicts, Ashoka, who calls himself Devanampiya, the Beloved of the Gods, speaks of his subjects as his own children and of his duty to care for their happiness and welfare, in this world and the next. It is this timeless message of compassion, peace and tolerance, carved in stone twenty-three centuries ago, that makes the edicts so moving to see.
A rock written on by three empires
What makes the Junagadh rock especially remarkable is that it is not just Ashoka's. The same boulder carries two later inscriptions, so that a single rock records the words of three different empires across some seven hundred years, a true history book in stone. Above the Ashokan edicts is a long Sanskrit inscription of the Western Satrap or Saka, ruler Rudradaman I, carved around 150 CE, which is celebrated as the earliest long inscription in pure Sanskrit prose and which records the repair of the great Sudarshan Lake, a reservoir first built in the time of Chandragupta Maurya. A third inscription, of the Gupta emperor Skandagupta, dates to around 455 to 467 CE and also concerns the repair of that same dam after a flood. To see the words of the Mauryas, the Sakas and the Guptas on one rock is to see the deep layers of Indian history laid bare in a single place.
Visiting the Ashokan Rock Edicts
The Ashokan Rock Edicts are protected inside a dedicated shelter, a small building, maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India on the road leading from Junagadh towards Mount Girnar, about 4 km from Junagadh Junction. The site is open daily, all days of the week, generally from about 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The entry fee is about Rs 20 per person for Indian citizens, with tickets generally bought online through the official ASI portal or via a QR code at the gate. A visit takes only about half an hour, as the main sight is the inscribed rock itself within its shelter, where a staircase lets you view the ancient writing up close. It is an easy and rewarding stop, especially as it lies right on the way to Girnar, so it combines naturally with a visit to the mountain.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit the Ashokan Rock Edicts is the cool winter season, October to March, when the weather is pleasant for sightseeing around Junagadh, in line with the best time to visit Gujarat. The summer, April to June, is hot, though the edicts themselves are under cover, so a visit is manageable at any time of year. Since the site is small and visited quickly, it is easily fitted into a morning or afternoon of sightseeing in Junagadh, ideally on the way to or from the Girnar foothills, the Bhavnath temple or Uparkot Fort. The cooler months simply make the wider day of sightseeing more comfortable.
How to reach the Ashokan Rock Edicts
The Ashokan Rock Edicts are on the Girnar road, about 4 km from Junagadh Junction railway station, easily reached by auto rickshaw or taxi from anywhere in the city and conveniently on the way to the Girnar foothills. Junagadh itself is well connected by rail and road from across Saurashtra, including from Somnath, about 100 km away and Gir, about 60 km away. Our Junagadh to Girnar and Somnath to Girnar distance guides cover the routes and a Somnath Dwarka taxi service can bring you to Junagadh and its monuments as part of a wider tour.
Combine the edicts with the rest of Junagadh
The Ashokan Rock Edicts are quick to see, so they are best combined with the other sights of Junagadh into a full day in the historic city. On the same road lie the Girnar foothills, with the Bhavnath temple and the start of the Girnar climb and Parikrama; nearby are the ancient Uparkot Fort with its stepwells and caves and the ornate Mahabat Maqbara mausoleum. Junagadh pairs naturally with a Gir lion safari and the Somnath temple on the coast, so the edicts fit beautifully into a wider Saurashtra journey of history, pilgrimage and wildlife, adding a touch of India's most ancient heritage to a trip of temples and forests and forts.
Tips for visiting the Ashokan Rock Edicts
A few pointers make your visit better:
Allow about half an hour, as the site is small, centred on the inscribed rock in its shelter.
Combine it with Girnar, Uparkot Fort and Mahabat Maqbara, which lie on or near the same road.
Look for the three layers of inscriptions, by Ashoka, Rudradaman and Skandagupta, on the one rock.
Buy your ticket online via the ASI portal or the QR code at the gate before you enter.
Visit on the way to or from the Girnar foothills, as it is right on that road.
Visit in the cooler winter months for the most comfortable day of sightseeing in Junagadh.
Plan your Junagadh trip
Experience My India can plan a Saurashtra trip that includes the Ashokan Rock Edicts and Junagadh along with the temples and the safari. Combine the edicts with the Girnar foothills, Uparkot Fort and Mahabat Maqbara, add a Gir lion safari and the Somnath temple, book Somnath Dwarka hotels and let the Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages or the wider Gujarat tour packages include Junagadh and the region in your itinerary. You can also extend the trip up the coast to Dwarka for a fuller journey.
Related guides
To plan the rest of your Saurashtra trip, these related guides help:
Related guide | What it covers |
Air, rail and road access to the Somnath coast. | |
Air, rail and road access to the Dwarka coast. | |
The short drive to a Gir lion safari near Junagadh. | |
Costs and booking for the nearby lion safari. | |
When to add a lion safari to your trip. | |
The sights of the Somnath temple town nearby. |
Plan your visit
Experience My India can arrange your Junagadh and Ashokan Rock Edicts trip. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.
Harsh Rawat
Somnath–Dwarka circuit planning
Harsh Rawat runs Somnath Dwarka Tour Package on the ground in Gujarat, part of Experience My India. Since 2018 he has been planning and driving the Somnath–Dwarka circuit — the darshan timings, the road hours between temples and the stops worth adding — and the routes, fares and timings published across this site are the ones he maintains.
