Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Chandni Chowk in Delhi
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Temple is the oldest Jain religious structure located in Chandni Chowk near Red Fort. This temple is best known for a veterinary hospital, commonly known as the Jain Birds Hospital situated behind the main temple complex. It is believed that the temple was constructed during the Mughal era when a Jain officer worshipped a Tirthankara statue in his tent. This attracted other Jain army officials and finally, a temple was built at the site in 1656.In the later years, the temple underwent several modifications and now it is commonly known as the Lal Mandir. The temple is dedicated to Parshvanatha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and houses a gigantic statue. There are figures of several other deities who are considered sacred by the followers of Jainism. The main devotional area is located on the first floor where devotees are often seen praying or spending moments of calmness. The mesmerizing architecture, extraordinary carving as well as the colourful frescoes make Sri Digambar Temple one of the legendary heritage sites in Delhi. No wonder, you will be hard-pressed to find such remarkable places anywhere in the country. Old Delhi was founded by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1628–1658) who built what is commonly known as the old city or walled city, surrounded by a wall, with the main street Chandni Chowk in front of the Red Fort, the imperial residence. Shah Jahan invited several Agrawal Jain merchants to come and settle in the city and granted them some land south of the Chandani Chauk around Dariba Gali. He also permitted them to build a temporary structure to house a Jain temple. The Agrawal Jain community acquired three marble idols installed by Jivaraj Papriwal under the supervision of Bhattaraka Jinachandra in Samvat 1548 (1491 AD) for the temple. The main icon is that of Tirthankara Parshva.
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