Sumatinath Digamber Jain Mandir (Janmsthal), Ayodhya: The Birthplace of the 5th Tirthankara, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐSumatinath Janmsthal Mandir timings

The temple is open every day from about 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and entry is free. The daily pooja, the abhishek, the ceremonial bathing of the Tirthankara, and the worship are kept morning and evening in the Digambar Jain tradition, the group aartis conducted around sunrise and sunset, with the exact times shifting a little by season. It is a quiet, meditative temple, and the early morning and the evening prayers are the most peaceful and beautiful times to come for a reflective darshan.

ॐSumatinath Janmsthal Mandir: the birthplace of the 5th Tirthankara

This peaceful Digambar Jain temple at Awas Vikas Colony, close to the Ayodhya Junction station, holds a glory of the first order, for it stands upon the Janmsthal, the very birthplace, of Bhagwan Sumatinath, the fifth of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras, born here in the holy city of Ayodhya. Here, tradition tells, in the royal house of King Megha and Queen Mangala, of the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty, the great soul who would become the Tirthankara Sumatinath took birth; and the temple keeps his birthplace, along with the ancient padukas, the sacred foot impressions, and historic inscriptions relating to the Lord. It is a quiet, meditative shrine, one of the sacred birthplaces that make Ayodhya a supreme tirtha of the Jains, where devotees come to bow at the birthplace of the fifth Lord.

ॐBhagwan Sumatinath, the Lord of Wisdom

The Tirthankara this temple honours bears a name of the mind: Sumatinath, from sumati, meaning good understanding, right thought, true wisdom, the clear and virtuous mind that discerns the good; and it is a most fitting name, for the way of the Tirthankaras is above all a way of right understanding, of seeing the truth of things clearly and choosing the good. Born here in Ayodhya, fifth in the line of the Tirthankaras and of the same royal Ikshvaku dynasty as Lord Ram, he in time renounced the world, attained the supreme knowledge, and taught the eternal path of non-violence, truth and liberation, before attaining his own final release at the great mountain of Sammed Shikharji. His emblem is the heron, or the goose; and he is revered, as the fifth of the ford-makers, among the great and early teachers of the Jain faith.

ॐCompleting the Jain Tirth Vandana: the five birthplaces

This temple has a special place, for it completes the set: Sumatinath's is the fifth and last of the five Tirthankara birthplaces that make Ayodhya one of the holiest cities in all of Jainism. For Ayodhya, less known for this than for being the city of Ram, is the birthplace of five of the twenty-four Tirthankaras: Bhagwan Rishabhdev, or Adinath, the first and founder of the faith; Ajitnath, the second; Abhinandannath, the fourth; Sumatinath, the fifth, whose birthplace this is; and Anantnath, the fourteenth; and all five were of the ancient and sacred Ikshvaku dynasty, the same royal line as Lord Ram. Their five birthplaces lie close together, within a few kilometres, in and around the old city; and to bow at all five, in a single circuit, is to complete the Jain Tirth Vandana, the homage to the birthplaces of the Tirthankaras, a beautiful and deeply cherished pilgrimage. And the circuit reaches beyond the city too, to Ratnapuri a little to the west, the birthplace of the fifteenth Lord, Dharmanath; so that the Jain circuit of the Ayodhya region holds the birthplaces of six Tirthankaras in all.

ॐThe fifth birthplace, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

I love ending the Jain Tirth Vandana here, at the Sumatinath temple, because it is the fifth and last of the five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya, so it completes the round. I tell my Jain guests: you have now bowed at the birthplaces of five of the twenty-four Tirthankaras, all in this one holy city, all of the same Ikshvaku line as our Lord Ram. To have done that in a single day is a profound thing, and I see them feel it. I explain the lovely meaning of the fifth Lord's name, Sumatinath, the Lord of Wisdom, of the good and clear mind, which is what the whole path leads to.

I show them the ancient padukas here, the holy foot impressions, and the old inscriptions, which the devout love to see. As at all the Jain temples, I give my guests the honest word that entry is free and they should never pay any agent. It is a quiet, meditative little temple, very close to the station, and a peaceful place to complete the pilgrimage. And I always offer to take them on to Ratnapuri for the fifteenth Lord too, if they have the time. The round of the Tirthankara birthplaces is one of the most meaningful things I share with Jain pilgrims, and completing it here, at the birthplace of the Lord of Wisdom, is a lovely close.

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

ॐWhat to see and do

• Bow at the birthplace of Bhagwan Sumatinath, the 5th Tirthankara, and take darshan of his idol.
• See the ancient padukas, the sacred foot impressions, and the historic inscriptions of the Lord.
• Attend the morning or evening pooja and abhishek in the Digambar tradition.
• Complete the Jain Tirth Vandana, the round of all five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya, here.
• Extend the circuit to Ratnapuri, the birthplace of the 15th Tirthankara, Dharmanath.

ॐHow to reach Sumatinath Janmsthal Mandir

The temple is at Awas Vikas Colony in Ayodhya, only about 0.72 km from the Ayodhya Junction railway station, so it is very easily reached, on foot or by e-rickshaw, and it is close to the other Tirthankara birthplace temples.

Being so close to the station, it is an easy start or finish to the Jain Tirth Vandana.

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 darshan and the padukas; 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.
• Behold the idol and the padukas of the Tirthankara with reverence, in the Digambar way.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• The temple is very close to the station, reachable by e-rickshaw, and generally easy of access; check on any steps.
• Being peaceful and uncrowded, it allows an easy, unhurried darshan without long waits.
• Its nearness to the station makes it a convenient first or last stop for elderly pilgrims.
• 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 Sumatinath and the five Tirthankara birthplaces, and the whole Jain Tirth Vandana of the city, completed at all five, and 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

The Sumatinath temple completes the five Tirthankara birthplaces of Ayodhya.

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