A quiet descends over you as you find your way - through the expansive grounds of the Dadabadi Jain Sevashram hemmed in with trees  - towards the Terracotta Jain Temple in Hyderabad. Only a stones throw from the other, more popular Karwan Jain Temple in Gudimalkapur near Mehdipatnam, the Dadabadi Jain Temple is a lyrical beauty of dulcet contrasts and a true oasis of peace in the otherwise crowded and narrow lanes of Karwan.

Dadabadi Shwetamber Jain Temple, Hyderabad

Built in a combination of terracotta and marble, this two hundred year old Shwetambar Jain temple makes for striking contrasts. You cannot but stop to admire the beauty of the rather unusual combination of the brick red of the terracotta and the pristine white of the Rajasthani Marble. Not to mention the intricate patterns carved into them. And, there is never a frisson of disturbance to the peace. Not by the pigeons flocking to the basins of birdseed kept out for them, nor by the steady trickle of regulars who come by everyday from all parts of the city to go about their solitary sojourn of faith and religion.

Past all this, as you enter the main sanctum, the smile on Dada Shri Jin Kushal Suri’s idol, to whom this temple is dedicated, only adds to the mood. You don’t have to be a Jain to experience a sense of stillness, here in this atmospheric temple.

Alongside the Dadabadi Shrine and terracotta temple, you will also find an old step-well, now in disuse, a conspicuously bright and new play ground, a multi-tiered marble fountain here and there amidst all the lush foliage on the grounds here. There is also an old  peoples home and a wedding hall for Jains here.

Explorers Guide

Don’t Miss 

Sundays and full moon days, if you want to attend a ritualistic Jain prayer.

Handy Tip

Though not mandatory, it is recommended that one wears white when visiting the Dadabadi Jain Temple. For it is of the Shwetambar Jain Sect.

Getting There

Head towards to the Gudimalkapur Park from Mehdipatnam. The temple is inside the Dadabadi Jain Sevasharam complex opposite the Sarada Nagar Community Hall, a little beyond the Gudimalkapur Park. 

 READ:  56 Incredible Weekend Getaways for other Jain Temples near Hyderabad