NASIYAN JAIN TEMPLE

Built in 1865, this superb temple is worth a visit, if only for its somewhat eccentric decoration. Built in red Karauli sandstone, a rarity for a Jain temple, its base is veneered with white marble, as is the staircase leading to the temple. All the interest lies in the rooms inside the temple, richly decorated with gilded woodwork and paintings representing scenes of Jain mythology. The temple is dedicated to Adinath, also called Rishabhanatha, the first tirthankar and inspiration of Jainism, and is a place of worship for the digambar, a sect of Jainism. Every day, the idol is bathed in milk and water. The place also evokes the representation of the Universe as imagined by the ancient Jains, that is to say an alternation of oceans and lands arranged in rings around a central axis. The main temple is reached by a white marble staircase. The three vedi, or altars, were renovated in 2005. Only Jains are allowed to perform religious rituals here. Here you can see the representation of the 24 tirthankars. On the first floor, the prayer room has frescoes dedicated to different tirthankars. Do not miss the representation of Ayodhya, birthplace of the god Rama. It would have taken a ton of gold to make it. The temple also houses a library containing rare manuscripts that scholars come to study. The temple belongs to the Soni family, a rich Jain family from Ajmer.