India is famous for many great things, and one of them is definitely secularism. For so many centuries, people from so many religious backgrounds are coexisting, and yet living at peace. And, one among those religions which is actually known for preaching peace is Jainism. This is one of the oldest religions that has its roots in India. To know about the religion, you can pay a visit to the Jain temples in India. The locations of Jain holy places are not limited to one or two places but all across the country. In this blog, let us discuss road trips to Jain temples in India.
Shikharji Temple, located at the Parasnath Hill in the state of Jharkhand is considered to be the holiest of all the Jain shrines because 20 Tirthankaras attained salvation here. Even the hills here are named after the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha. The temple is frequented by both pilgrims as well as tourists from all nooks of the country.
Dilwara Temple is a Jain Tirth in Rajasthan that was built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The temple was built by Vimal Shah while it was designed by the Dhokla Jain Ministers. You must visit this temple to witness the architectural splendor. There are several Jain temples all across the country but this temple stands out for its design.
Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the architectural marvels that you should not miss visiting. The temple was built by Dharna Shah, who was a reputed businessman. He took help from the Mewar ruler to build this temple. There are many temples within the premises of this temple. The most famous among all the temples is the four-faced Chaturmukha Temple dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath.
One of the holiest Jain temples, Palitana Temples, located at the Shatrunjaya Hill is a famous Jain Tirth in Gujarat. A strange thing about this temple is that it took around 900 years for this temple to get completed. The construction of this temple started in the 11th century. To reach the main temple here, you have to climb 3500 stairs. Palitana temple complex has a total of 836 Jain temples and the main temple here is dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Adinath.
Girnar Jain Temples is a cluster of Jain temples located on Mount Girnar in Junagadh. It is considered holy by the Digambara and Shwetambara Jain communities. Lord Neminath, the 22nd Tirthankara attained salvation here and died at this spot. There are around 16 temples scattered at this spot, while the Neminath temple is considered the most important of all. You have to climb 10,000 steps to reach this beautiful temple.
The holy city of Varanasi houses the Parshvanatha Jain Temple. The temple is dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha. It is believed by the Digambara and Shwetambara sects that the Tirthankara was born here around 800 BC. The main attraction of this temple is the 2.5 feet black idol.
As you come out of Chandni Chowk metro station you can clearly see the Jain temple in red color standing tall near Red Fort. The temple was built during colonial times in 1656.
The temple is dedicated to the 15th Tirthankara, Dharmanath. Constructed in 1904, this temple is over 100 years old. The temple is known for resembling the Dilwara Temple in Mount Abu. If you are planning your road trip to Kochi, make sure you pay a visit to Dharmanath Temple as the best thing to do here is to admire the architecture of this temple.
Saavira Kambada Basadi in Moodabidri was built in 1430 by Devaraya Wodeyar. The town today is one of the top tourist attractions and mainly because of the presence of this temple. A remarkable feature of this temple is the 50 feet tall monolithic pillar. It took a total of 30 years to complete this temple.
Situated at the very famous Khajuraho, this temple was constructed in the 10h century. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest of all the Jain temples in Khajuraho. Words are not enough to describe the beauty of this temple and to understand the importance of the structure; you must visit the temple once.
These fabulous temples will not only fill your heart with devotion but also allow exploring the important milestones in the spread of Jainism in India. Take a self-drive car rental to visit these by road, and forget about worrying about the rising fare of the traditional taxi services. The Revv safe car rental can be easily chosen through the Revv app and in just a few clicks you will have the perfect ride.
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