Parshvanath Jain Shwetambar temple, Multan
Parshvanath Jain Shwetambar temple is a Jain temple located in the Churi Sarai Bazaar area of Bohar Gate, Multan in Punjab, Pakistan. The temple is a Parshvanath temple associated with the Śvetāmbara sect originally constructed in the early 19th century.[1][2] The Digambar Jain temple is located in the same locality near Bohar Gate within the old walled-city of Multan.[3]
| Shiri Vishwanath Jain Shwetambar Mandir | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mural depicting the 23rd Tirthankar from Parshvanath Jain Shwetambar temple in Multan, Punjab, circa early 19th century | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Jainism |
| Sect | Śvetāmbara |
| Deity | Pārśvanātha |
| Ownership | Evacuee Trust Property Board |
| Status | Defunct |
| Location | |
| Location | Churi Sarai Bazaar, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Jain (with Mughal and Sikh influences) |
| Established | early 19th century (c. 1819) |
History
editHistorian Sam Dalrymple dates the temple's construction to a year after the Sikh conquest of Multan, which gives a year of c. 1819. He attributes its sponsor as being the Nahata family, who served as court-jewellers to the Nawabs of Bahawalpur and Khans of Kalat.[4] However, Asif Mahmood Rana dates it later to the British period.[3] Multan was 0.04% Jain in 1941 but these Jains left for India during partition.
The temple was vandalized and damaged by a mob in December 1992 the aftermath of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.[5][1][3] However, it was mostly spared due to the intercession of a maulvi and his students, who protected the temple.[3] Part of the complex currently serves as an Islamic school.[5][1] Muslim students clean the temple daily, including the frescoes of Jain deities.[3]
The property is currently owned by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and has no official protection status conferred onto it. A restoration of the structure led by a member of the Nahata family under the guise of the Evacuee Trust Property Board is planned.[1]
Architecture and artwork
edit
The structure has three-stories and a basement. Its bazaar level is occupied by shops.[3] Its architecture shows both Mughal and Sikh influences. Within the building are frescoes depicting the twenty-four tirthankaras of Jainism.[1][5]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 Dalrymple, Sam (23 January 2025). "Inside a Jain temple of Pakistan with Mughal and Sikh influences". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Hussain, Sidra; Shahid, Hafiza Maham; Yousaf, Sana Kanwal. Conservation Report: Shiri Vishwanath Jain Shwetambar Mandir. NFC-IET-MULTAN. pp. 1–26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rana, Asif Mahmood (26 October 2021). ""Tolerance" in Urgent Need of Conservation: A Case Study of the Crumbling Jaina Heritage in Pakistan". In Cai, Jianming; Yang, Jianping; Cheng, Le (eds.). New Approach to Cultural Heritage: Profiling Discourse Across Borders. Springer Nature Singapore. pp. 246–247. ISBN 9789811652257.
- ↑ Dalrymple, Sam (6 November 2024). "The Digambar Jain Temple of Multan". Instagram. Retrieved 19 April 2026.[self-published]
- 1 2 3 Khalid, Haroon (27 September 2015). "These temples in Pakistan are now madrasas". Scroll.in. Retrieved 19 April 2026.