Sri Ananthanatha Digamber Jain Temple, Ayodhya: The Birthplace of the 14th Tirthankara, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐSri Anantnath Jain Temple timings and aarti

The temple is open every day from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and entry is free. The abhishek and puja, the ceremonial worship of the Tirthankara and the best time for a personal offering, are held from about 6:30 to 8:30 in the morning, and the evening Sandhya aarti is around 6:30 to 7:00 PM. It is a calm, peaceful temple, rarely crowded, so darshan is unhurried, and senior citizens or those needing help may walk straight in to the sanctum without any queue.

ॐSri Anantnath Digamber Jain Temple: the birthplace of the 14th Tirthankara

This peaceful Digambar Jain temple in the Katra quarter of Ayodhya holds a glory of the first order, for it stands upon the Janmsthal, the very birthplace, of Bhagwan Anantnath, the fourteenth of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras. Here, tradition tells, in the royal house of King Simhasena and Queen Suyasha, of the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty, on the thirteenth day of Vaishakha Krishna under the constellation Revati, the great soul who would become the Tirthankara Anantnath took birth in this holy city. And so the temple that marks the spot is a sacred Janmabhoomi shrine, a place of deep pilgrimage for the Jains, who come to bow at the birthplace of the fourteenth Lord in the very city where he entered the world.

ॐBhagwan Anantnath, the Infinite Lord

The Tirthankara this temple honours bears a beautiful name: Anantnath, the Infinite Lord, from anant, meaning that which is endless, boundless, without limit; and his name signifies the very boundlessness of the spiritual liberation that the Tirthankaras attain and reveal. Born here in Ayodhya of the Ikshvaku line, he was, the Jain narratives tell, a soul inclined to the spirit from his earliest childhood, drawn to meditation and detached from worldly pleasure even as a young prince; and in time he renounced the world, attained the infinite, supreme knowledge, and taught the eternal path, before attaining his own final liberation at the great mountain of Sammed Shikharji. He is depicted in serene meditation, golden of hue, and known by his emblem, the falcon in the Shwetambar tradition and the porcupine in the Digambar. He is the fourteenth of the ford-makers who help humanity cross the boundless ocean of rebirth to the boundless freedom beyond.

ॐThe five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya: the Jain Tirth Vandana

This temple is one of a set of five, and therein lies one of the great glories of Ayodhya for the Jains: the holy city is the birthplace of no fewer than five of the twenty-four Tirthankaras. First and greatest is Bhagwan Rishabhdev, or Adinath, the very first Tirthankara and founder of the Jain dharma; and with him were born here the Lords Ajitnath, the second, Abhinandannath, the fourth, Sumatinath, the fifth, and Anantnath, the fourteenth, whose birthplace this is; and all five were of the same ancient and sacred Ikshvaku dynasty. Their five birthplaces lie close together, within a few kilometres, in and around the old city, and to make a pilgrimage to bow at all five is a beautiful and cherished devotion, a Jain Tirth Vandana, a homage to the birthplaces of the Tirthankaras. Many pilgrims complete the round of all five in a single, deeply moving circuit.

And the circuit reaches beyond the city, for the immediate successor of Anantnath, Bhagwan Dharmanath, the fifteenth Tirthankara, was born only a little way to the west, at Ratnapuri; so that the two consecutive Lords, the fourteenth and the fifteenth, were born within a short journey of each other, and the Jain circuit of the Ayodhya region holds the birthplaces of six Tirthankaras in all.

ॐThe temple, the amenities and an honest word

The temple compound is well provided for the pilgrim: there is a dharamshala with clean lodging, both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms, managed by the Digambar Jain trust, and a bhojanshala serving authentic, pure Jain food, cooked to the traditional dietary rules. The temple lies on the route of the Chaurasi Koshi Parikrama, the great circumambulation of the sacred region, and is about two kilometres from the Ayodhya Dham railway station, easily reached by e-rickshaw. And an honest and important word: entry and darshan here are completely free, for everyone. Unlike the great, thronged Hindu temples, the Jain temples of Ayodhya are peaceful and uncrowded, and there is no VIP darshan, no paid queue, and no need of any middleman; so please do not pay any local agent or tout who promises you special or fast-track entry into the Jain shrines, for the doors are open to all, free, and without any such arrangement.

ॐThe birthplace of the Infinite Lord, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

I love bringing Jain pilgrims to this temple, because it is a true Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Bhagwan Anantnath, the fourteenth Tirthankara. I tell them the lovely meaning of his name, Anantnath, the Infinite Lord, endless, boundless, like the liberation he shows us. And then I explain the great thing about Ayodhya that so few know: that five Tirthankaras were born in this one city, all of the same Ikshvaku line as our Lord Ram, and that their five birthplaces are all within a few kilometres. I take my Jain guests to bow at all five, the Jain Tirth Vandana, which is a profound and beautiful pilgrimage, and often we go on to Ratnapuri too, for the fifteenth Lord, born just next door, so to speak.

I also always give my guests an honest warning here, which they appreciate: that entry is completely free, that these Jain temples are peaceful and never crowded, and that they should never pay any agent promising VIP entry, because there is no such thing. It is part of how I look after the people I bring. There is a good dharamshala here and a bhojanshala with proper Jain food, which my Jain pilgrims love. This quiet birthplace of the Infinite Lord, one of the five, is a place of deep peace and reverence, and I am always moved to bring pilgrims to it.

In more than forty years of guiding, the round of the five Tirthankara birthplaces is one of the most meaningful pilgrimages I share with Jain devotees.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Bow at the birthplace of Bhagwan Anantnath, the 14th Tirthankara, and take darshan of his idol.
• Perform a personal abhishek or puja in the morning, the best time for offerings.
• Attend the evening Sandhya aarti, around 6:30 to 7:00 PM.
• Complete the Jain Tirth Vandana, the round of all five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya.
• Rest at the dharamshala and take pure Jain food at the bhojanshala.

ॐHow to reach Sri Anantnath Jain Temple

The temple is at Block-A, Awas Vikas Colony, in the Katra quarter of Ayodhya, about 2 km from the Ayodhya Dham railway station, easily reached by a local e-rickshaw. It is close to the other Tirthankara birthplace temples.

A local e-rickshaw can be hired for a modest fare to cover all five Tirthankara birthplaces.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with the other four Tirthankara birthplaces for the Jain Tirth Vandana, and with Ratnapuri.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for this temple; a half-day for the full Vandana.

For Ayodhya, or a combined Kashi and Ayodhya pilgrimage, planned end to end, see our tour packages.

ॐEtiquette for visiting

• This is a Jain temple; be respectful, keep your voice low, and follow any guidance.
• Remove footwear and any leather items before entering, and dress modestly.
• Do not carry outside food into the sanctum, and follow the temple's rules of purity.
• The Digambar tradition depicts the Tirthankara plain and unadorned, in serene meditation; behold it with reverence.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• Being peaceful and never crowded, the temple allows senior citizens to walk straight in to the sanctum without any queue.
• The dharamshala, with AC and non-AC rooms, is a great convenience for elderly pilgrims to rest and stay.
• The bhojanshala serves proper Jain food on the premises.
• We arrange transport and plan a gentle Jain Tirth Vandana within your Ayodhya day.

ॐOur guided visits and the Jain Tirth Vandana

We are a Varanasi and Ayodhya based operator, a unit of Experience My India, with more than forty years of guiding pilgrims across Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. Entry and darshan are free, so what we offer is the story and the planning: a guide who tells the story of Bhagwan Anantnath and the five Tirthankara birthplaces, and the whole Jain Tirth Vandana of the city, extended if you wish to Ratnapuri and the wider Jain circuit of the region. And we look after you honestly, so you never pay a tout for what is free.

Inclusions and exclusions are stated up front, with any taxes and conditions, and no charge appears later that was not named. Darshan is free; our charge is only for guiding and services. See all our tour packages for the full range.

Experience My India is a travel operator, not the temple administration. Darshan is free; our charge is only for our guiding and services. Timings and rules are set by the temple and can change.

ॐNearby sacred sites in Ayodhya

Sri Anantnath Jain Temple is one of the five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya.

For the Ram Mandir darshan and its free Sugam booking, see our Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir guide.