This was without doubt the highlight of my short visit to Jaisalmer. Within the fort walls is an astonishing maze-like interconnecting treasure trove of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, all dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.
The temple names are Chandraprabhu, Rikhabdev, Parasnath, Shitalnath, Sambhavanth, Gyan Bhandar, Shantinath and Kunthunath. Unfortunately I am not able to accurately attribute all my photos to any specific one of these temples.
My first visit was cut short as the temples were closing at 3pm, and my return visit the following day revisited some of the same temples, and also explored new ones in what can only be described as a completely random fashion !
The highlight of both my visits was the carved decoration on a couple of the ceilings, which was almost beyond description. I’m not even sure I’ve managed to capture this successfully, but it’s not for want of trying 🙂
A visit here is actually quite a disorientating experience, with no signage and seemingly nondescript doorways leading to an unexpected new temples – I was constantly losing track of where I’d been and precisely where I was in relation to the other temples.
Subsequent research on the web hasn’t really helped me identify the exact temple names for many of these photos. I don’t think I’m the only one who has had a hard time achieving this !
This is one temple complex that was totally complex ! But in many respects that doesn’t really matter, it’s actually part of the joy of visiting this place. Whilst it does result in a bit of a dump of photos on the blog, it does accurately represent what you will see if you come here.
To see everything, you should plan for at least 90 minutes. And critical to that plan is to ensure you know the opening and closing times. There’s one ticket to see everything here, and the guards that hover around the three main entrances will know the opening times for any specific day.
Remember not to wear any leather items, although on the days I visited they didn’t seem to check for this.
You’re welcome to ‘Like’ or add a comment if you enjoyed this blog post. If you’d like to be notified of any new content, why not sign up by clicking the ‘Follow’ button.
If you’re interested in using any of my photography or articles please get in touch. I’m also available for any freelance work worldwide, my duffel bag is always packed ready to go…
KevinStandage1@googlemail.com
Opening times have a habit of changing, so check with the caretakers. The intricate carving rivals that of the marble Jain temples in Ranakpur and Mt Abu, and has an extraordinary quality because of the soft, warm stone.
Categories: India, Jain Temples, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Kevin Standage 
Nice photography Sir, congrats. I visited Jaiselmer last month but nobody inform us about this Jain temple complex. Sir, where exactly located?.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Anil…they’re right inside the fort, there’s a sign pointing in the direction of the Jain Temples in the square by the palace entrance. Sorry you missed them !
LikeLike
I have been lucky enough to spend lots of time in jaisalmer over the last fifteen years or so. Usually any stroll around the fort brings one past the temples, which are on either side of a laneway…and guides indicate also. They have been world heritage listed for many years, I believe.
The photographs are just great. So easy to mix up…these two open at this time..another later…library only sometimes. I just get ” lost” in the lovely interiors…your photos are a great record.. Please next time check out the view looking down on the complex.
I was lucky enough to be there so long they treated me as a local and didn’t charge entry fee! I felt very honoured….the Jains are so commercial.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fiona- are any of my photos from the library ??? I’m not sure I got to see that…
LikeLike