The Nareli Jain Temple is a sacred Tirtha of Digambar Jains in the suburban area of Ajmer located at a distance of 8. 4 kms from the city centre. It is on the outskirts of the city.
The Nareli Jain Temple is a relatively new Jain temple located on the outskirts of Ajmer. Ashok Patni of RK Marbles, a marble mogul, constructed this temple. It is said that the construction of the temple had commenced between 1994 and 1995, on account of the divine blessings of the disciple of Acharya Vidya Sagar who was Muni Sudha Sagar. The temple is situated on the Aravali mountain range. Apart from the main temple, 24 other temples have been built along the hillside, creating a lovely silhouette on the horizon. The resulting design is a modern, angular group of monuments. Out of 24 images of the Jain Tirthankaras, the images of the three Tirthankaras named as Arahnath, Kunthunath and Sri Shantinath have been established at the temple. Each of the Tirthankara idols weighs about 24 tons. The destination is now an important site of pilgrimage for the Digambara Jains. The temple is made of marble stone and is known for fulfilling wishes and bringing prosperity in life. The main temple has a huge idol of Guru Adinath on the first floor with 24 miniature temples of other Tirthankar's line up on the hills above. The 24 temples surrounding the main temple represent the Thirthankar of Jainism, also called the 24 Jainalay.
There is one grand entrance to the temple complex which is adorned with an exquisite range of flora and one can view the entire city of Ajmer from this point. Nareli Jain Temple is quite well-known for its elaborate patterns and carvings. The temple complex comprises several shrines and temples known as 'Shri Gyanodaya Tirth Kshetra'. The temple is slightly angular in shape and boasts of contemporary architectural pattern. The temple has also built up a reputation amongst its devotees to fulfil their wishes and give the visitors prosperity. The temple also consists of a few shops with items like holy books, idols, incense sticks and other items related to puja. The temple has a small stall serving Prasad (food items). The back yard of the temple houses stables for cows and other livestock. The temple provides a number of charity services where people can donate money for the various causes from educationally equipping the underprivileged to donating clothes and food for the poor.
Visitors can typically spend up to 1 to 2 hours enjoying the divinity of the temple. Nasiyan Jain temple can easily be clubbed with other tourist destinations like Dargah Shariff, Nasiyan Jain Temple, Ana Sagar Lake, Adhai Din Ka Jhopra, Daulat Bagh and Prithviraj Smarak. One can also go out for some traditional local shopping from Madar Gate and Mahila Mandi and get bandhini (traditional Rajasthan handmade designs) draperies, embroidered shoes, silver ornaments, ittar (perfume), curios and antiques. The best time to visit Nareli Jain Temple is during the winters from October to March as the weather is pleasant and lively during this time. The temple itself is very beautiful and enchanting during the early mornings and evenings due to the divinity and beautiful chaos of the Aarti (main Puja) time. The trees and plants add to the serenity of the temple during evenings.
The Nareli Jain Temple is open all days of a week during timings 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM. The Nareli Jain temple along with the Nasiyan Jain temple is considered to be one of best examples of architectural progression and wonder. The temple's unique and quirky architectural style has drawn out many connoisseurs of design and historians likewise. Moreover, constructed in the Aravali Ranges the temple is surrounded by plant life thus giving a divine, refreshing and enjoyable experience to the tourists.