OmerRobson4867 at 19:35, 22 October 2025

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{{Short description|Ancient centre of Jainism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
[[File:Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Chandni Chowk, Delhi.jpg|right|270px|thumb|[[Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir]] in [[Chandni Chowk]], Delhi.]]
{{Jainism}}
[[Delhi]] is an ancient centre of [[Jainism]], home to over 165 Jain temples. [[Delhi]] has a large population of Jains spread all over the city. It has had continued presence of a Jain community throughout its history, and it is still a major Jain centre.

==Rajput period==
In Delhi, during the [[Tomara dynasty]], the Jain poet [[Vibudh Shridhar]] wrote the [[Apabhramsa]] work ''Pasanah Chariu'' "The Conduct of [[Parshva]]" in VS 1189 with the support of a Jain merchant prince, [[Nattal Sahu]]. This book provides the very first account of the city of Delhi and the first mention of the [[Agrawal]] community. Agrawals continue to be the major business community in and around Delhi. Vibudh Shridhar is the first known Agrawal author.<ref>Parmananda Jain Shastri, Agrawalon ka Jain Sanskriti men yogadan, Anekanta Oct. 1966, p. 277–281</ref> His ''Pasanah Chariu'' provides the first reference to the Agrawal community and the first historical reference to the legend of the origin of the name ''Dilli'' for [[Delhi]].<ref>An Early Attestation of the Toponym Ḍhillī, by Richard J. Cohen, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1989, p. 513–519</ref>

'''Manidhari Jinchandra Suri''' visited Delhi (then often called Yoginipur) during the rule of the Tomara king Madanpal. He died in Samvat 1223. His samadhi is now known as the [[Mehrauli]] Dada Bari.<ref>[http://www.dadagurudev.com/Manidhari.htm Manidhari Shri Jinchandra Suriji] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203144052/http://www.dadagurudev.com/Manidhari.htm |date=2008-12-03 }}</ref>

==Khalji period==

[[Alauddin Khalji]] recruited [[Thakkar Pheru]] a [[Shrimal Jain]] from Kannana in [[Haryana]] as a treasurer.<ref>Itihas ki Amarbel Oswal, Mangilal Bhutoria</ref> He was an expert in coins, metals, and gems. For the benefit of his son Hemapal, he wrote several books on related subjects including [[Dravya Prariksha]] on metals and various coins; and [[Ratna Pariksha]] on various precious gems stones.<ref>[http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/20005b63_168.pdf NOTICES OF THIRTEEN MSS. IN PRAKRIT...] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126104600/http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/20005b63_168.pdf |date=2012-11-26 }}, B.M. Chinatamani</ref> He was continuously employed until the rule of [[Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq|Ghiasuddin Tughluq]].

==Tughlaq period==
Delhi was the location where the [[Digambara]] [[Bhattaraka]] institution was initiated according to some authors. Bhaṭṭāraka [[Prabhachandra]], who was the disciple of Bhaṭṭāraka Ratnakirti of Ajmer, visited Delhi at the invitation of the lay Jains there. He visited the Muslim ruler [[Firuz Shah Tughluq]], who had a Jain minister named Chand Shah. At Ferozshah's request, he visited his inner courtyard. Until that time, Prabhachandra used to be without clothes, but at Chand Sah's request, he wore a loincloth. Bakhtavar Shah in his Buddhi Prakash writes:<ref>Jain Dharm Ka Prachin Itihas, Paramananda Shastri, 1975</ref>

===Jinaprabh Suri and Vividha Tirtha Kalpa===
Jinaprabh Suri, who had wandered over a large part of India and written an account of various [[Tirtha (Jainism)|tirtha]]s during Samvat 1364–1389, lived in Delhi during the rule of b. Tughluq and wrote parts of the [[Vividha Tirtha Kalpa]] there.<ref>The Vividhatirthakalpa as historical source and coherent text: {{cite web |url=http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/pdf/Paper_Steven_Vose.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-01-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304113254/http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/pdf/Paper_Steven_Vose.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-04 }}</ref> A Jain idol originally at [[Hansi]] which was in the royal storage, was released with his efforts.<ref>Vividha tīrtha kalpa of Jinaprabha Sūri, Ed. [[Jinvijay|Muniraja Jinavijaya]]</ref> It is now said to be located at the Jain temple at Chelpuri in Delhi.<ref>Samkshipta Parichaya, Shri Shvetambar Jain Mandir, Naughara Gali</ref>

==Mughal period==
[[File:Naya Mandir, Dharampura - side view (1).jpg|thumb|150px|[[Naya Mandir]]]]
Both [[Akbar]]<ref>Akbar, the Great Mogul, 1542-1605. By Vincent A. Smith, M.A., M.R.A.S. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1917.</ref> and [[Jahangir]],<ref>Jahāngīr's Vow of Non-Violence, Ellison B. Findly, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 107, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1987), pp. 245–256</ref> who had their capital at Agra, invited and met Jain monks. [[Shahjahan]] moved his capital to Delhi after building the walled city of Delhi called [[Shahjahanabad]].

Several Jain, such as [[Sahu Todar]] served as the imperial treasurers during the Mughal rule.

A part of Shahjahanabad was allocated to the Jains on the south side of the [[Chandni Chowk]] canal, close to the imperial residence (qila-mubarak, now known as the [[Red Fort]]). The Jains were permitted to have a temple during 1658 in [[Urdu Bazaar (Delhi)|Urdu Bazar]], which was called the Urdu Mandir (now [[Lal Mandir]]), provided it did not look like a temple.

[[Raja Harsukh Rai]] in the early 19th century was the chief of the Agrawal Jain community, and a builder of several Jain temples in and around Delhi including the [[Naya Mandir]], was the imperial treasurer during Sam. 1852-Sam. 1880. [[Naya Mandir]] was the first Delhi temple to have a [[Sikhara|shikhara]].

==Modern period==

Delhi has 148 [[Digambara]] temples, mostly in the walled city areas, 61 [[Sthanakvasi]] Upashrayas and 16 [[Śvetāmbara]] Murtipujaka temples. In modern Delhi, the majority of Jains in Jain Colony (Veer Nagar), nearby Roopnagar area are [[Bhabra]] refugees from Punjab in Pakistan who arrived after the partition of India.<ref>[http://www.soas.ac.uk/jainastudies/newsletter/41864.pdf The Mūrtipūjaka Śvetāmbara Community in North Delhi]{{cbignore|bot=medic}},{{dead link|date=July 2013}} Akiko Shimizu, Centre of Jaina Studies Newsletter, Issue 3: February 2008, page 28</ref>

== Main temples ==
[[File:Shri Atma Vallabh Jain Smarak - Main (1).jpg|thumb|Atma Vallabha Sanskriti mandir]]
[[File:Dadabari, Mehrauli - side view.jpg|thumb|[[Dādābadī#Mehrauli|Dādābadī, Mehrauli]]]]
[[File:Jain worship.jpg|thumb|Worship in [[Jambudweep]]]]

; [[Digambar|Digambara Jain]] [[Lal Mandir]]
The oldest Jain temple in Delhi known as Lal Mandir ("Red Temple"). It is just opposite of the Red Fort on the Netaji Subhas Marg, [[Chandni Chowk]], Delhi. Constructed in 1658, the temple has undergone many modifications, additions, and alterations. The temple has a free bird hospital (though donations are appreciated) in the courtyard. It practices the Jain principle that all life is sacred.

; [[Shri Atma Vallabh Jain Smarak]]
Located at 20th kilometer on G. T. Karnal Road, its idyllic setting bring out the elegance of the buildings, which were all built according to traditional Jain [[Shastra]]s. The complex includes Shri Vasupujaya Temple, Shri Vallabh Smarak, a Shastra Bhandar, a Jain [[Museum]], and a Research Centre for [[Indology]]. The complex also has a school for children, a [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamshala]] & [[Bhojanalaya]] for the convenience of visitors, as well as a free dispensary. The complex also contains "Devi Padamavati Temple" and a [[shrine]] of Sadhvi Mrigavati ji.

; [[Naya Mandir]]
This was the first temple in Delhi with a shikhar. [[Raja Harsukh Rai]], imperial treasurer in the late Mughal period, constructed this large and ornate Jain temple in the Dharampura locality of Old Delhi in 1807 during the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar II with a cost of about 8 Lakh rupees, then an enormous amount. He was able to obtain the royal permission to construct a shikhara for the temple for the first time during the Mughal rule. This temple is known as the Naya Mandir (new temple), since an older Jain temple, now known as the Lal Mandir already existed.

; [[Ahinsa Sthal]]
Ahinsa Sthal is a [[Jain temple]] located in [[Mehrauli]], [[Delhi]]. A magnificent monolithic {{convert|4.93|m}} statue of ''Tirthankara Mahāvīra'' in [[lotus position]] weighing around 30 tonnes is installed here.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kurt Titze|author2=Klaus Bruhn|title=Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-violence|date=1998|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publisher|isbn=8120815343|page=266|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loQkEIf8z5wC|access-date=24 October 2015|language=en}}</ref> The temple complex also consist of a large garden.

; [[Dādābadī#Mehrauli|Dādābadī, Mehrauli]]
The dādābadī in Delhi, is the place where Dādā Guru Jinachandra Sūri was cremated. According to the legend, while on his deathbed, he told his followers that when he died the "Mani" (magic jewel) embedded in his forehead would fall out and should be placed in a bowl of milk. He also instructed them that his body should not be kept anywhere while preparing for the funeral. Everyone was so sad, however, that they forgot his instructions and set his body on the ground. When they tried to move it again, it wouldn't budge. Even elephants were used, but all attempts failed and the last rites had to be performed right there, at the spot where the shrine now stands.

=== Nearby Jain Tirthas ===
* [[Hastinapur]]
* [[Tijara]]
* [[Ahichchhatra Jain temples|Ahi Kshetra]]
* [[Hansi]]
* [[Ranila]]
* [[Kasan Gurgaon|Kasan]]

==Other Temples==
[[File:Padmavati Digamber Jain temple, interior.jpg|thumb|Interior in Shri Padmavati Purwal Digamber Jain Mandir]]
[[File:Panchayati Mandir, Dharampura (1).jpg|thumb|Shri Digamber Jain Panchayti Mandir]]
[[File:Ahinsa Sthal 1.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Mahavira]] at [[Ahinsa Sthal]] ]]
;Central Delhi

==See also==
{{Portal|Religion|India}}

* [[Bhattaraka]]
* [[Mula Sangh]]
* [[Agrawal Jain]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050129235242/http://archnet.org/institutions/INTACH/library/web/delhi/Page071.html Lal Mandir]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060220212403/http://chandnichowk.com/dadabari/mdcomplex.htm The Mehrauli Dadabari complex]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060208235103/http://www.jainworld.org/pictures/temples/ Ahimsa Sthal]

{{Jain temples}}
{{Jainism Topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jainism In Delhi}}
[[Category:Jainism in Asia by city]]
[[Category:Jainism in India]]
[[Category:Religion in Delhi]]
[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:History of Delhi]]

Jainism in Delhi - Revision history

OmerRobson4867 at 19:35, 22 October 2025