Gori Jain Temple

A fourteenth-century Parshvanatha temple in the Thar desert of Sindh, its domes still carrying traces of painting.

Built in 1375–76 near Nagarparkar, and once the centre of a pilgrimage drawing Jains from across Sindh, Kutch and Rajasthan. The Jain community of the region left after 1947 and the temple has stood without a congregation since.

Fragments of painting survive inside the domes — rare, because such surfaces are usually the first thing lost. The building is on Pakistan’s tentative list for World Heritage nomination, and conservation work has been intermittent.

Worth knowing

• There is no resident community. Several other Jain temples survive in and around Nagarparkar in varying condition.

For opening times and access, check the temple's own announcements — they change, and we would rather list nothing than send you to a closed door.

Written for Jain Times. Corrections are welcome — see sources and licences.