Hutheesing Jain Temple

The Hutheesing Jain Temple stands at Shahibaug, near Delhi Darwaza in Ahmedabad, and is dedicated to Dharmanatha, the fifteenth Jain tirthankara. It was built in 1848 by the wealthy merchant Sheth Hutheesing Kesarisinh, who died before its completion; his wife, Sheth Hutheesing's widow Prasanna Devi, saw it finished and consecrated. The temple is built of white marble and is considered one of the best-known Jain temples in Gujarat, not for its age but for its finely detailed carving. The design was overseen by the architect Premchand Salat, and follows the traditional Maru-Gurjara style: a raised plinth, a main shrine with a tall shikhara, an open pillared hall known as the mandapa, and a surrounding cloister of small shrines, numbering fifty-two, each containing a tirthankara image. The forecourt is entered through a gateway, and in front of the main temple stands a tall carved column, the Manastambha, a freestanding pillar of about 78 feet, commonly seen at Jain temples. Every surface of the marble, including the pillars, brackets, ceilings and doorways, is carved with dancers, musicians, gods, floral patterns and Jain scenes, and the domed ceiling of the mandapa is one of the finest. The temple lies within the tradition of Ahmedabad's Jain merchant patronage, which funded much of the city's monumental architecture during the colonial era. The temple is a working place of worship managed by a trust, and it is maintained in good condition, with the white marble regularly cleaned. Visitors are welcome outside ritual times, but strict rules apply: leather items, including belts and wallets, are not allowed, and photography may be restricted inside the sanctum. Modest dress is required. The complex is compact and easily seen in under an hour, and it is normally combined with a visit to the Calico Museum of Textiles or the Old City sights.