Famous Jain Temples To visit
RANAKPUR JAIN TEMPLE :- Ranakpurpur jain temple was built to order by a local businessman named darna shah. He wanted a beautiful temple built after he had a dream of a celestial vehicle. many sculptors and artists submitted their designs to shah but none of them matched the image he had dreamt of. one plan that matched his dream was by an architect named deepak from mundara. deepak was able to make a design because he was impressed by the dedication of shah to build this temple. afterwards, shah sought the land to build the temple from king rana kumbha. not only did he give a big piece of land to build the temple on, but he also asked deepak to build a town around it. the town built was named ranakpur, after the king, and the same town is now known as ranakpur. the construction of the temple began in the 14th century and went on till the 15th century.
There are a total of 5 temples in india that are considered the most sacred for jain. one of them is ranakpur jain temple. the others in the list are dilwara temple in mount abu, rajasthan; khajuraho temples in khajuraho, madhya pradesh; palitana temples in shatrunjya hills, gujarat; and gomateshwara temple in shravanabelagola, karnataka. the temple is famous for its beautiful carved idol of parshvanatha made out of a single marble slab. the idol has 1008 snake heads and numerous tails. two chauri bearers and yaksha and yakshi, half-human and half-snake, stand on either side. there are two elephants purifying parshvanatha.
SRI DIGAMBAR LAL JAIN TEMPLE :- The oldest jain temple in delhi, SRI DIGAMBER JAIN LAL MANDIR is one of the holiest temples in india. situated in chandni chowk, the heart of old delhi, it was built in 1656. currently, it houses a birds charity hospital. dedicated to the 23rd tirthankara lord parshvanath, the temple is known for the tale of the mughal times. the mughal emperor invited the jain merchants to and granted them land in his capital. the families brought their religion and built the temple in honor of their gods. a manastambha column greets pilgrims at the entry gate.
the temple follows the simple yet awe-inspiring architecture with glided roofs, intricate carvings and artwork in red sandstone. people of all faith are welcome to enjoy the peaceful ambiance.
GOMATESHWARA TEMPLE :- Gomateshwara is a monolithic statue, dedicated to the god bahubali of the jain religion. located in shravanabelagola in karnataka, the massive art wonder was voted as one of the 7 wonders of india. the grand structure is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world and looks immensely peaceful & serene. a monolithic statue of bahubali referred to as “gommateshvara” built by the ganga dynasty minister and commander chamundaraya is a 60 feet (18 m) monolith and is situated above a hill in shravanabelagola, in the hassan district of karnataka.
it was built in the 10th-century ad. not only the jain community but lots of other people from india keeps on traveling here to explore the beauty and culture of jain and also to take blessings.
PALITANA TEMPLE :- The largest cluster of jain temples in india, is one of the holiest sites for pilgrimage. the palitana group of temples are built over 900 years, from the 11th century onwards. there are more than 3000 temples located on the shatrunjaya hill of which 863 are holy shrines of jains. climb 3,750 stone steps to get to the temples. the main deity of the shrine is the first tirthankara, rishabanath. the marble temples have a unique architectural style with ornamentation that makes it appear like pure ivory.
The temple deities though of marble have gold ornaments with precious stones. pilgrims from all over the world visit palitana to take blessings. while legends state the temple to be the residence of the divine, therefore nobody has permission to stay overnight, not even the priests.
SONAGIRI TEMPLE :- sacred to the sect of digambar jains, the small town of sonagiri has some of the most popular pilgrimage sites for jains in india. literally meaning the ‘golden peak’ in the local language, the temple is situated in madhya pradesh on the summit of the majestic mount shatrunjaya. while there are about 900 temples here, each outdoes the others with its beauty and magnificence.
The white jain temples of sonagiri gleam in the sunshine. most visitors here, climb the 300 steps to the top barefoot. at the peak, marvel at the countless white temples and chhatris. you will also be in awe of the detailed carvings, beautiful idols, images, jeweled statues, intricate sculptures, etc. the temple was built by digambar jain and built in 9th and 10th century. the temple is dedicated to jain 8th tirthankar bhagavan chandraprabhu. sonagiri jain temples where sonagiri literally means 'golden peak' are located at sonagiri 60 kms near bhopal in madhya pradesh.
MAHAVIR JI TEMPLE :- The jain temple was dedicated to mahavir swami of osian which was built during the reign of the vatsaraja pratihara. there are five temples in shri mahavirji. atishaya kshetra shri mahavirji is considered one of the miraculous pilgrimages of jains. this pilgrimage is situated at banks of GAMBHIR RIVER. built at the bank of a river, this pilgrimage is a prominent centre of devotion for jain devotees. chandanpur mahavirji temple is hailed as the heart of pilgrimages.
The temple is visited by millions of jain and hindu devotees every year. the iconic idol of lord Mahavira, the principal deity of the pilgrimage temple, was found during an excavation. it was later found to be more than 1000 years old. a gurjar dairy farmer named krapa ram noticed that one of his cows was always dry of milk. when cow belonging used to pour out its milk every day upon a mound near chandanpur village. it was surprising for the owner of that cow and the villagers. they excavated the mound and found the idol of lord mahaveer.
SHIKHARJI TEMPLE :- Parasnath hills, the highest mountain in jharkhand is home to the revered shikharji temple. it is among the most popular jain temples in india. shikari temple worships twenty out of twenty-four tiranthakaras who achieved freedom from the cycle of rebirth or moksha. while the sacred place dates back to the 18th century, till date jain devotees visit here with full devotion. for this reason, followers of jainism go for a parikrama on a palanquin or by foot to cover a distance of 54 km. The historical significance and architectural splendor of the temple are worth witnessing. one can also find the sanskrit inscriptions of the 17th century and an ancient idol in the sanctum sanctorum. additionally, a mural depicting all the temples on parasnath hill steals the limelight.
HANUMANTAL JAIN TEMPLE :- Hanumantal jain temple is the place from where the annual jain procession on the birthday of lord mahavira starts. one of the most famous jain temples in india, it is a treasure trove of stories. apart from spirituality, the temple additionally mirrors a fortress having twenty-two shrines. a heaven for ancient art lovers, the temple displays several images from different eras.
The only idol here is, of jain goddess padmavati. The 22 shrines of the temple make it the largest independent jain temple in india. additionally, there are images from the kalachuri period to modern times which leave one spellbound. pilgrims visiting the sacred place consider the black-stone statue of lord aadinath to be a swayambhu idol. besides bliss, a scenic pond adds to the beauty of the place.
DILWARA TEMPLE :- The holy site is a short distance from mount abu, rajasthan’s only hill station. the temples are popular not just for its religious value but is renowned for beautiful and artistic marble carvings. The five temples of dilwara were built by dedicated jain devotees in the 11th century. the five shrines are dedicated to lord adinath, lord rishabhdeo, lord neminath, lord mahavir swami, and lord parshvanath respectively. The sacred pilgrimage of the jains reflects their values. the simple yet beautiful architecture, carvings, and marvelous designs enamor your senses.
The marble temples have an opulent entranceway, with intricate carvings on roofs, passages, columns, arches, and doorways.is one of the most famous temple of jain were not only jain community people but people of other community also keep on travel to take worship of lord mahavir and explore the beautiful jain culture .
