Delhi being the capital of India has its history which dates back to the time of Moughals or even before that. It has a very huge population of Jains that is spread all over the city. As well we can find many Jain temples here. Among these the Kanch Mandir, Birla Mandir and the 14 feet idol of Bhagawan Mahavir in the Mehroli area are worth mentioning.
Kanch Mandir – Inside this Jain Temple thousands of mirrors adorn the walls, floor and ceilings, supplemented by brightly patterned ceramic tiles, Chinese lantern -type glass lamps and cut glass chandeliers which are exquisitely crafted. There are 50 or so crafted murals depicting scenes of conversion to Jainism. The use of glass beads and raised figures produced a pleasing 3-D effect. This mirrored palace is at variance with the austerity and simplicity of the Mahavira’s existence and teachings.
Some of the other Jain temples found in Delhi are:Sri Digamabar Jain Panchayati Mandir, Masjid Khajur, Dharampura; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, R. K.puram; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Satghara; Sri Chandraprabh Digamabar Jain Mandir, Balinagar, Najafgarh road; Sri Khandelwal Digamabar Jain Bada Mandir, Vaidvada; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Yousuf sarai, Green park; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Jain Bhavan, Y block, Sarojini Nagar; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Lodhi colony; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Bhogal Road, Jungpura; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Bhogal; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Najafgarh; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Jhadoda kalan; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandirkarampura; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir, Vikaspuri; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir Milapnagar, Uttamnagar; Sri Digamabar Jain Mandir in the Uttamnagar area; Sri Digamabar Jain naya Mandir, Dharampura.
When we speak about Jain temples in Delhi everyone speaks about the Lal Mandir and Chandni Chowk and the idol of Lord Mahavir at Mehrauli. Not many are aware about the 5 Jain temples in old Delhi that are known for their uniqueness in terms of their antiquity, grandeur and unique gold paintings. One such […]
-Photos by Nitin H.P. (HPN@JHC), Bengaluru Images of the ancient Jain idols found at the National Museum, New Delhi.
