Sarnath is an important pilgrimage point for believers of Jainism too. The 11th Jain Tirthankara Shreyanshnath was born in a village close to Sarnath. Built in 1824, the Digambar Jain Temple is also called the Shreyanshnath Jain Temple. The temple houses a large image of Shreyanshnath, and there are attractive frescoes depicting the life of Bhagwan Mahavir, founder of the Jain religion.
In Jainism, tirthankara means ‘one who has detached himself from the material world’. The path to this Jain temple is lined with gardens and greenery on both sides. In Digambar monasticism, branch of Jain Dharma, this is a mus-visit point. According to history, four Tirthankaras were born close to Varanasi and therefore many Jain devotees visit Sarnath to pay their obeisance.
A beautiful photograph taken from the monastic ruins in the Dhamek Stupa Compound has the three monuments; Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, the imposing Dhamek Stupa and the Digambar Jain Temple in one frame. There is no entry ticket for the temple and the timings of visit are from sunrise to sunset and the temple is easily accessible from the main road.
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