Jain Temple, Mumbai

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Visit to the temple one of the oldest, still practised religions in the world.
Jainism arose in Eastern India 500 years before the birth of Christ under the influence and teaching of Mahavira . Although it shares many of the tenets of Christianity and other religions like: - non-violence, chastity, truthfulness, rejection of worldly/material pursuits and respect for the property of others - the overall philosophy and practices have important differences...
Jainis have reverence for life in all its forms that not only makes them vegetarian but also careful never to harm the smallest creature, even accidentally. Some of the people inside the temple praying at the shrines of numerous deities and saints wore facemasks to prevent the accidental ingestion of tiny insects.

There was an atmosphere of great calm and tranquillity in the temple, enhanced by the beautiful decoration of walls and floors in glowing shades of pastel. The ceiling too was aglow in warmer,richer shades of the reds, which depicted the signs of the Zodiac.
In spite of the excellent lectures in our "floating classroom", I found it difficult to grasp fully the beliefs of the Jainis and what appeared a complex hierarchy of deities.

We had been told that photography was not permitted in the temple so I have no photos of the interior and was annoyed to see people coming in, as we were ready to leave, shooting reels of film using flash and taking videos. Calm and tranquillity were greatly disturbed!

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This small Jain Temple was built in 1904 and is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankar (monk), Adinath. It is located on the main road that runs along the top of Malabar Hill on the way to Walkeshwar Temple. When I visited there was a film crew inside filming some sort of festival taking place.

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This temple on the Malabar Hills can be visited free of charge as it is a working temple. Shoes have to be left in the courtyard. Photography is allowed, but you must not turn your back on the statues.
Inside the temple are statues to the main gods, especially Ganesh, and the building is beautifully decorated with paintings showing Hindu mythology.
The Jain help the community and donations in gold and silver appear as doors and ornaments as well as cash.
A small donation can be made, but is not obligatory.

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Hinduism had its many reformations before Christ was born, and Jainism is but one of them. The Jains have been rather productive in their temple building. In a modern Jain temple in Mumbai, we observed the clanging of bells and a ritual that involved milk. Relative to any Christian ceremony I've ever seen, the Jain rituals are very elaborate. For the most fantastic of Jain temples see my tips for Ranakpur, off the beaten path outside UdaipurL%* and L%[http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/611ff/10a314/]Osian a village near Jodhpur.

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The full name of this temple is the Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple and is probably one of the most decorative and prettiest Jain temple I have seen.

There are colourful frescoes on the walls which depict a number of events in the lives of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras.

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The marble Jain Temple on Malabar Hill was built in 1904 and is a little different to others I visited on my trip. The shrine is dedicated to Adinath who was the first Tirthankara or apostle. A large number of devotees as well as curious tourists visit here every day.