Ratnapuri, Ayodhya Region: The Birthplace of the 15th Tirthankara, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐRatnapuri Jain Tirth timings

The temples are open every day from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and entry is free. The daily worship is kept in the Jain tradition, with morning devotional puja around 6:30 to 7:00 AM and evening prayers around 6:30 PM; the exact schedule can vary, so it is best to come during the standard morning or evening worship. There are dharamshalas of both the Shwetambar and Digambar sects for pilgrims who wish to stay, and special Aangi or ritual puja can be arranged with the temple trust.

ॐRatnapuri: the birthplace of Bhagwan Dharmanath

Where the quiet village of Ronahi now stands, west of Ayodhya, there rose in ancient times a flourishing and beautiful city called Ratnapur, or Ratnapuri, the city of jewels; and it holds a glory beyond any earthly wealth, for it is the birthplace of Bhagwan Dharmanath, the fifteenth of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras. Here, tradition tells, in the royal house of King Bhanu and Queen Suvrata, of the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty, the great soul who would become the Tirthankara Dharmanath took birth, his coming foretold by the auspicious dreams of his mother and celebrated by the gods themselves; and he was born, it is said, bearing the mark of the vajra, the thunderbolt, which is his emblem to this day. So Ratnapuri is a supreme Jain tirtha, a sacred birthplace of a Tirthankara, and Jain pilgrims come here from across India and the world to bow at the birthplace of the fifteenth Lord.

ॐThe Kalyanak Bhumi and the two temples

Ratnapuri is honoured as a Kalyanak Bhumi, a land of the great auspicious life-events of a Tirthankara, for four of Dharmanath's five Kalyanaks are held to have taken place here upon this one sacred ground: his Chyavan, the descent of his soul into the womb; his Janm, his birth; his Diksha, his renunciation of the world; and his Kevalgyan, his attainment of supreme knowledge; only the fifth and last, his final liberation, his moksha, took place elsewhere, at the great mountain of Sammed Shikharji. To stand where four of the five sacred Kalyanaks of a Tirthankara occurred is a darshan of the deepest meaning for a Jain.

And the tirth welcomes both the great Jain traditions, for here stand two temples: the Shwetambar temple, where Bhagwan Dharmanath is enshrined with his holy footprints set in all four directions; and the Digambar temple, where he is seated in the lotus posture. Both keep ancient and beautiful idols, and both maintain their dharamshalas for the pilgrims who come.

ॐBhagwan Dharmanath, the 15th Tirthankara

The Lord whose birthplace this is, Bhagwan Dharmanath, was the fifteenth of the twenty-four Tirthankaras of the present age, the ford-makers who show humanity the path across the ocean of rebirth. Born here at Ratnapuri, in the Ikshvaku dynasty, to King Bhanu and Queen Suvrata, he renounced the world, attained supreme knowledge, and taught the eternal path of non-violence, truth and liberation, before attaining his own final release at Sammed Shikharji. His emblem is the vajra, the thunderbolt, the symbol of an unbreakable, adamantine spirit; and he is revered, with all the Tirthankaras, as a perfected and liberated soul, a guide and an example to all who seek the way.

ॐThe Jain circuit of the Ayodhya region and the shared dynasty

Ratnapuri is one jewel of a rich Jain circuit that surrounds Ayodhya, for this whole region is holy ground to the Jains. Ayodhya itself is the birthplace of five Tirthankaras, first among them Bhagwan Rishabhdev, the founder of the faith; and here at Ratnapuri, a little to the west, is the birthplace of the fifteenth, Dharmanath; and there are other Jain sites through the region besides. And running through it all is a beautiful shared thread, for Dharmanath, like the first Tirthankara Rishabhdev, and like Lord Ram himself, was born of the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty, the same great and sacred royal line; so that the whole region honours one lineage across the two great faiths. To make the Jain circuit of Ayodhya and Ratnapuri, then, is to trace both the roots of the Jain dharma and the deep unity of India's spiritual heritage.

ॐThe birthplace of the fifteenth Lord, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

Taking Jain pilgrims out to Ratnapuri is a real pleasure, because I get to bring them to the birthplace of a Tirthankara. I tell them as we drive out from Ayodhya, only about half an hour: we are going to the ancient city of Ratnapur, the city of jewels, where Bhagwan Dharmanath, the fifteenth Tirthankara, was born. And I explain the great thing, that four of his five Kalyanaks, his conception, his birth, his renunciation and his enlightenment, all happened here on this one holy ground. To stand there is deeply moving for a Jain.

I always fit Ratnapuri into the whole Jain circuit for my guests: Ayodhya, the birthplace of five Tirthankaras, and Ratnapuri, the birthplace of Dharmanath, with the two great temples here, the Shwetambar and the Digambar, so all Jains are welcome. And I tell them the beautiful shared story, that Dharmanath, like the first Tirthankara Rishabhdev and like our Lord Ram, was of the Ikshvaku dynasty, so one great royal line is honoured by both faiths across this whole region. There are good dharamshalas here to stay, and the temple trust arranges the pujas. For a Jain pilgrim, this quiet tirth, the birthplace of the fifteenth Lord, is a place of the deepest reverence, and I am glad to bring them the extra distance to it.

In more than forty years of guiding, this is the birthplace whose peace and sanctity most reward the Jain pilgrims I bring the extra distance.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Bow at the birthplace of Bhagwan Dharmanath, the 15th Tirthankara, in the ancient city of Ratnapur.
• Take darshan at both the Shwetambar and the Digambar temples and their ancient idols and footprints.
• Reflect on the Kalyanak Bhumi, where four of the Lord's five Kalyanaks took place.
• Arrange an Aangi or ritual puja with the temple trust, and rest at the dharamshalas.
• Combine it with the Jain trail of Ayodhya for the full Jain circuit of the region.

ॐHow to reach Ratnapuri

Ratnapuri is at Ronahi, in Sohawal tehsil, about 24 km west of Ayodhya, on the Ayodhya-Lucknow National Highway, and only about 2 km from Sohawal railway station. Autos and taxis are easily available, and a car makes the excursion easy.

We arrange a comfortable car for the excursion, with the Ayodhya Jain trail.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with the Jain trail of Ayodhya (the Badi Murti, the Shwetambar temple and the tonks).
• Allow a good half-day for the excursion, both temples and the Kalyanak Bhumi.

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

ॐEtiquette for visiting

• These are Jain temples; 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 temples' rules of purity.
• Behold the idols and footprints of the Tirthankara with reverence, in each tradition's way.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• The tirth is out of the city but reached by road right to it, and it is generally well laid out.
• The dharamshalas of both sects are a great convenience for elderly pilgrims to rest and stay.
• It is peaceful and uncrowded, ideal for a slow, restful, contemplative visit.
• We arrange a comfortable car and plan a gentle excursion.

ॐOur Ratnapuri excursion and the Jain circuit

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 arrange is the excursion and the experience: a comfortable car for the drive out to Ratnapuri, a guide who tells the story of Bhagwan Dharmanath and the Kalyanak Bhumi, and the full Jain circuit of the region, Ayodhya and Ratnapuri together, the birthplaces of six Tirthankaras.

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, transport and services. See all our tour packages for the full range.

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

ॐNearby sacred sites

Ratnapuri is best joined with the Jain and Ram sites of the Ayodhya region.

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