Whenever my Jain relatives come to visit, the conversation often turns to a visit to one of the nearby Jain temples nestled beyond the bustling city. The idea is to have a meaningful journey which is a blend of a road trip and a pilgrimage. Depending on the amenities at the tirth, it can be a memorable day trip or a serene overnight stay. This unique experience is cherished for its “sattvic” quality, fostering inner peace and well-being, all while being budget-friendly. Here are two popular temples outside Bangalore that are frequently visited by Jains,
108 Nakoda Avanti Parshwanath, Devanahalli
Large temple complex with an impressive newly constructed structure with a main temple and a full parikrama of shrines around it. Main deity is Parshwanath as the name suggests. There is also an older temple which seems to have older idols and is very rest-ful. I feel happy visiting this place.
There are no Jain families in Devanahalli, so it is good for us to visit and help in keeping the place active with Jain devotions.
Location: 19 kilometres from the Bangalore airport, this is a popular visit for Jains who are traveling by flight. Either after arrival or before departure they can visit this temple.
Stay: a large stay area is coming up. However, construction at this temple has stopped, so not sure when the project will complete. There seems to be some problems within the trust that is building this complex.
Bathrooms, Changing Room: There are good bathrooms and changing room facilities. Note: there are some older structures which are dilapidated. So, ensure you find the new bathrooms, which are better and usable.
Food: 3 times food available at Bhojanalaya.
7.45 – 9.30 AM: Breakfast
11.30 – 1 PM: Lunch
4.30 – 5.45 PM: Dinner
Cost is 100 INR for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is a little less.
I went for lunch once and the food was really good. It was a typical Gujarati thali with well-made rotis, delicious papad methi vegetable and daal. It was served with love and care by the staff. And the place was clean and hygienic with good hand wash area. Happy to visit again.
This temple has an old and dilapidated Upasra for monks to stay. It is not in use currently.
Since I am staying at Chikkaballapur, this temple is meaningful for me. It is only a 30-min drive.
Parshwanath Sushil Dham, Attibele
Beautiful white marble temple, the preverbial image of a Jain temple, with Parshwanath as the main deity. I remember the temple being very serene and having good sitting area outside as well. Love to meditate here for a while.
Location: Located very conveniently on Hosur Road, Sushil Dham is a great stop especially for folks that stay closer to Electronic City or Bommasandra. This is a relatively newer Jain temple complex, with very well-made temples, stay areas and food facilities.
Stay: Yes, it does have rooms to stay. While I didn’t see them myself, my family has a good impression of them. And it has been discussed multiple times to have a getogether here. Though, it hasn’t materialized. But so, the stay rooms would be quite good.
Bathrooms, Changing Room: Yes, this is a very well setup temple and definitely has good facilities for visitors.
Food: Yes, I have eaten here a couple of times. Very good, usual Gujarati Jain Bhojnalaya kind of food. Feels homely for me. And tasty.
7.30 – 10 AM : breakfast
12 – 2 PM: Lunch
4 – 4.30 PM: Tea
5 – 5.45 PM : Dinner (Dinner closing time depends on sunset. So pls check sunset timings and ensure you arrive 30 mins before that)
Do you know of any noteworthy Jain temples outside Bangalore you would like to add to this list? Let me know in comments!
0 Comments