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Sacred to the 16th tirthankar of Jainism – Lord Shantinath is an ancient temple in Rumtek. The idol of Bhagawan Shantinath installed in the Shantinath Mandir is believed to fulfill the desires of the devotees. Along with the main temple, there are 15 other temples and shrines. One can even see the traces of the temple in Kalidasa’s lyric poem Meghadūta (“cloud messenger”). It is believed that Ramchandra once had visited this place.
Architecture
The height of the temple shikhar itself is 31 feet. The Shantinath Jain Teerth temple is one of the few Jain temples in North India which is built by following a South Indian temple architecture pattern. The shape of the shikar is quadrangular and is golden in colour.
Legend / Local stories
As per the legends, the story of the temple goes like this – 4000 years ago, a ruler from Nagpur, Appasaheb Bhonsle, came to Ramteke with his minister, Vardhman Savaji to make a Ram Temple. One day, the minister came late. When asked the reason behind the act, he said, “oh king, I am Jain. I am bounded by the rule that of not eating food without worshipping Jain idol, so I went 30 km away (present day kamptee Jain mandir) for worship.
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How to Reach:
Address
Ramtek, Maharashtra 441106