Lal Mandir

Lal Mandir, also known as Soniji ki Nasiyan, is a hidden gem of Ajmer. It was built a little over 100 years ago by a rich Jain businessman or a seth. From the outside, it looks like another temple in red sandstone, but hidden inside is a huge hall measuring 90 ft by 65 ft by 92 ft, which contains a life-sized diorama of a complete Jain city, Ayodhya Nagari. The scenes in this huge and intricate display depict the events at the time of the birth of the Jain teerthankar Adinath. There is a giant three-storied palace built with scenes depicting the life of the city. The huge armies of elephants and horses are depicted on the ground. There are devas or demigods coming to visit the earth on their planes at the city of Ayodhya, made holy by the birth of the saint Adinath. Several glass paintings in gold adorn the walls of this hall showing scenes and stories from various Jain scriptures. The whole aura is one of grandeur, divinity and celebration. The models exhibited here were created and showcased in Jaipur before they were brought to Ajmer. This huge display can be admired only through small opening in walls of the hall and that too through a glass. The dominant color in the displays is golden to indicate the golden time and a golden era. One gets a strong urge to step inside the hall and feel how it would be a stand in a golden city.