Bhandasar Jain Temple

The Bhandasar Jain Temple is one of the finest examples of Jain architecture in Rajasthan, tucked into the old city about two kilometres from Junagarh Fort. Its five-storey facade is covered in intricate carvings, and the interiors are painted with gold leaf and richly coloured murals depicting Jain cosmological scenes. The temple is dedicated to the fifth Jain Tirthankara, Sumatinath.

The building is still an active place of worship, so dress conservatively, remove shoes before entering, and check that it's open to visitors before making the journey. The upper floors offer good views over the old city rooftops. It is less visited than the fort and rewards those who seek it out.

things to do sight architecture
A story
Local legend holds that the mortar used in Bhandasar's construction was mixed with ghee — clarified butter — instead of water. The story is almost certainly apocryphal, but on hot afternoons devotees claim the walls still exude a faint oily sheen. The temple was commissioned around 1468, which would make it one of the oldest surviving structures in Bikaner, predating the fort itself.

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