Soniji Ki Nasiyan
| Ajmer Jain temple | |
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| Soniji Ki Nasiyan | |
Ajmer Jain Temple
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 Location within Rajasthan
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Ajmer, Rajasthan |
| Geographic coordinates | 26°27′N 74°38′E / 26.45°N 74.64°ECoordinates: 26°27′N 74°38′E / 26.45°N 74.64°E |
| Affiliation | Jainism |
| Deity | Rishabhanatha |
| Festivals | Mahavir Jayanti |
| Architectural description | |
| Creator | Seth Moolchand Soni |
| Date established | 1864-1895 |
The Ajmer Jain temple, also known as Soniji Ki Nasiyan, is an architecturally rich Jain temple. It was built in the late nineteenth century. The main chamber, known as the Swarna Nagari "City of Gold", has several gold-plated wooden figures, depicting several figures in the Jain religion.
Kurt Titze, in his book, "Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence" (1998, p. 143), writes on Soniji Ki Nasiyan:
Greatly revered by the Digambar sect of the Jains, the Nasiyan temple is dedicated to Lord Rishabhdev, first of the 24 Tirthankars [religious path makers of the Jains] by Rai Bahadur Seth Moolchand and Nemichand Soni. It is situated on Prithvi Raj Marg in Ajmer, the heart of Rajasthan state in India. The foundation of this magnificent Jain temple was laid on 10 October 1864 and the image of the first Tirthankar Lord Rishabhdev (Adinath), was installed in the Sanctum Sanctorum on 26 May 1865. This work was carried out under the able guidance of the great scholar Pandit Sadasukhdasji of Jaipur.
The name of the temple is Siddhkoot Chaityalaya. It is also known as 'Red Temple' as it is built of red sand stone or 'Nasiyan of Seth Moolchand Soni' signifying the founder’s name. After the Svarna Nagri was added to the temple in 1895 A.D. it popularly began to be called as 'Sone ka Mandir' or 'Soni Mandir' emphasizing the golden structure as well as the family name. The halls of this temple are adorned with fascinating series of large, gilt wooden figures and delicate paintings that display scenes from Jain scriptures.
Main Temple:
The entrance gate of the temple is made of red sand stone brought from Karauli. In front of the gateway is the marble staircase, leading to the main temple, which is embellished with the images of the Tirthankars.
Vedi’s:
The central image is of Lord Rishabhdev seated in the "Samavasharana" - in which He imparts true knowledge to the suffering humanity, so that they get liberated from the entanglements of life and death. In the year 2005, the 3 Vedi's were renovated and all the idols of Tirthankaras were re-installed amidst religious rituals and ceremonies. In this portion only Jains are allowed to perform their religious rituals.
Manastambha:
On entering this historical temple one gets the view of the beautifully and artistically designed 82 feet high Manastambha. R. B. Seth Tikamchand Soni laid the foundation and R. B. Seth Sir Bhagchand Soni built this Manastambha. He, along with his sons Prabhachand, Nirmalchand & Sushilchand consecrated and installed the images of the Jain Tirthankars in it. A big function was held for ten days in June 1953, where along with the members of the Soni family, thousands of others participated.
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