There are approximately 15 Ossian Jain temples near
Jodhpur. The most fascinating one of the Jain Osiyan temples in
Rajasthan is the Mahavira temple. It is dedicated to the last (24th)
Jain Prophet. The main temple was constructed around 775 A.D. And till
about 15th century, the other smaller shrines were being added to the
main complex.
Ossian holds a great significance for the Jain community. This is so
because the Oswal Jains (a rich trading community) came from Ossian.
Thus, deriving their name from this town. It is because of the donations
of these Oswals only that so many temples were constructed. Even their
upkeep was possible because of due participation of Oswals.
The entrance to the temple complex has carvings of beautiful maidens on
it. The roof is also beautifully decorated. The terrace on which the
temple stands is built up of sandstone. The main Mahavira temple has an
inner sanctum and three balconied windows. The main porch of the temple
has beautifully ornate pillars. And the second porch, which was later
added on, has more stylish construction. The other Jain temples are
quite smaller and are uniform to some an extent. Only little
differentiation can be seen among them.
In this write up, we tell you about the Jain
Temples in Ossian/Osiyan, near Jodhpur in Rajasthan India.