Ladnu Jain temple

Ladnu Jain temple
Adinath Jain temple, Ladnun
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Sect	Digambara, Śvetāmbara
Deity	Shantinatha
Festivals	Mahavir Jayanti
Location
Location	Ladnu, Rajasthan
Location within Rajasthan
Geographic coordinates	27°38′29.0″N 74°23′38.4″E
Architecture
Date established	10th century

Ladnu Jain temple is a Jain pilgrimage center located in Ladnu, Rajasthan.

History

Ladnu, established as a significant Jain center in the 10th century, features a temple complex comprising five Digambara and two Śvetāmbara temples, with their superstructure added during later centuries. The temple complex is home to Jain Vishva Bharati University, established in 1970, serving as a hub for the study of Jainism and spirituality.

Ladnu also holds significance as the birthplace of Acharya Tulsi, a ninth spiritual leader of Śvetāmbara Terapanth tradition.

Architecture

The Shantinatha temple boasts an inscription dating back to 1295 CE (1352 VS) inscription carved on the pedestal of the mulnayak (principal) idol. Additionally, the temple is adorned with an exquisitely carved idol of Sarasvati, dating back to 1162 CE. Noteworthy among the temple's architectural features is the intricately carved torana, dating back to 1079 CE. The temple underwent expansion over time, incorporating bronze idols from 1518 to 1872.

The basement of the temple features charan (footprints) carved on a pillar, with lotus flowers adorning the bottom of the foot imprints.

References

Sources

Books

• Shah, Natubhai (2004) [1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1938-2
• Srivastava, Vijai Shankar (1981). Cultural Contours of Indi. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9780391023581.
• Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998). Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6.
• Vallely, Anne (2002). Guardians of the Transcendent: An Ethnography of a Jain Ascetic Community. Anthropological horizons. Vol. 22. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802084156.
• Wiley, Kristi L. (2009). The A to Z of Jainism. Vol. 38. Scarecrow. ISBN 978-0-8108-6337-8.

Web

• Hegewald, Julia (2020). "Pādukās: Revered Foot Imprints in the Jaina Art of India" (PDF). European Association for South Asian Archaeology and Art. In Bridging Heaven and Earth: Art and Architecture in South Asia.
• RTDC. "Jain temples in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan". Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. Retrieved 20 January 2024.

External links

Media related to Ladnu Jain temple at Wikimedia Commons