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Inside The 550-Year-Old Rajasthan Temple Built With 40000 Kg Of Ghee
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News18•07-10-2026, 21:15
Inside The 550-Year-Old Rajasthan Temple Built With 40000 Kg Of Ghee
- •The Bhandasar Jain Temple in Bikaner, Rajasthan, is a 550-year-old architectural marvel built using nearly 40000 kg of pure ghee instead of water due to historical water scarcity in the region.
- •Dedicated to the fifth Jain Tirthankara Lord Sumatinath, the temple's construction began in 1468 under the wealthy merchant Bhandasa Oswal and was completed in 1554.
- •Local folklore states that the merchant used ghee for the mortar after being ridiculed for preserving a single drop of spilled ghee, aiming to prove his generosity.
- •Visitors and locals believe that traces of ghee still seep through parts of the stone flooring during peak summer temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius.
- •The three-storeyed heritage monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India features intricate frescoes, gold-leaf ceiling paintings, and delicate mirror work.
Key Questions Answered
The 15th-century Bhandasar Jain Temple in Bikaner is dedicated to Lord Sumatinath, who was the fifth Tirthankara of Jainism.
According to local folklore, the temple's patron Bhandasa Oswal was mocked for saving a single drop of spilled ghee during a severe drought. To prove his actions were not driven by greed, he declared he would use 40,000 kg of pure ghee instead of water to prepare the mortar.
The three-storeyed temple features exquisite Jain artistry, intricate frescoes, gold-leaf paintings, delicate mirror work, and carvings of all 24 Tirthankaras. It is currently protected as a heritage monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
