Nasiyan Jain Temple (Red Temple / Soniji Ki Nasiyan) On Prithvi Raj Marg in Ajmer stands the Nasiyan Jain Temple, commonly called the Red Temple, known not just for its place of worship but for its extraordinary “Swarna Nagari” (City of Gold) hall. The outer temple is built in red sandstone with a tall shikhara and marble interiors dedicated to Rishabhanatha, but the museum section houses a series of large wooden and plaster tableaux covered with gold leaf, depicting scenes from the Jain concept of the universe and the life of the first Tirthankara—complete with golden palaces, processions and celestial cities. The intricate, almost theatrical dioramas make it one of the most visually unusual Jain sites in Rajasthan.
About this place
History & highlights
The main Nasiyan temple was opened in 1865 by the Digambara Jain Sri Soniji family, and the Swarna Nagari hall was added later in the late 19th century. The golden dioramas were designed to educate and inspire devotees by narrating Jain cosmology and the five auspicious events (panch kalyanaka) in Rishabhanatha’s life through models instead of texts alone. Over time, the temple became a major urban landmark on Ajmer’s main road, representing the wealth and piety of the local Jain merchant community. Today it functions both as an active place of worship and as a museum-like attraction that shows how 19th-century Jains used new artistic forms—painted backdrops, mirrors, gold plating—to translate ancient religious stories for a modern urban audience.
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