Old Jain temples in India where you can offer your prayers to the almighty!

Among many, we are talking about a few old temples in India that are popular for their cultural and historical significance.

India has end number of historic temples and shrines that hold within themselves various stories of excavation and architecture. Today, on the occasion of Jainism Day, we are looking at a few old Jain temples in India and their majestic structures.

1. Puliyarmala Jain Temple, Wayanad, Kerala

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Dedicated to Ananthanatha Swami, who was a Tirthankar, this temple is believed to have been built in the 13th century, which still depicts the mastery of Jain architecture. Located in Puliyarmala, the temple has beautiful carvings on the doors and the temple's stupa. It also has a large brass idol in the temple compound and a carved statue of Lord Mahavir at the front door.

2. Kolanupaka Temple, Yadadri, Telangana

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Kolanupaka Temple, which is believed to be 2,000 years old, is a great witness to how Jainism prevailed in Telangana even before the 4th century. The temple has three idols: Lord Rishabha, Lord Neminath, and Lord Mahaveer. The main temple has eight idols of the other Tirthankars present on both sides of the main temple. Along with this, the idol of Lord Mahaveer is 130 centimeters and, as per the beliefs, is made of a single piece of Jade.

3. Hutheesing Jain Temple, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

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This shrine was built in 1850 AD and dedicated to Dharamnath, the fifteenth Tirthankara. The temple has a beautiful carved ornamental gate at the entrance and a two-storey structure that houses the idol of Mulnayak Lord Dharamnath. The temple also has an open courtyard and a gallery for visitors.

4. Gomateshwara Bahubali Temple, Shravanabelagola, Karnataka

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Built in around 982 or 983 AD, Gomateshwara Bahubali Temple has 3 idols of Jain Tirthankaras in the entire temple surrounding. Moreover, there are 17 meters tall statues of Lord Bahubali present in the temple that attract huge crowds. Along with this, there is also a large pillared mandap in the temple.

5. Bawangaja Temple, Barwani, Madhya Pradesh

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Bawangaja temple, believed to have been built in the 12th century, is dedicated to Lord Adinatha, the first Tirthankara. The statue of the lord is carved out of one single rock and stands 84 feet tall. The most unique thing is that it is carved right in the middle of the Satpura mountain range at the height of 1300 feet.

6. Ranakpur Temple, Pali, Rajasthan

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Ranakpur temple is a 15-century-old Jain temple housing 6- feet tall statue of Lord Adinath. The temple consists of 1,444 intricately carved pillars and 24 pillared halls that are accompanied by 80 domes which are borne by 400 columns. Another eye-catching feature of the temple is the carvings of the nymphs and celestial maidens that are playing musical instruments at the height of nearly 45 feet!

Also Read: Did you know about these epic Shiva temples, and statues in India?

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