Also Known As · Lal Mandir · Urdu Mandir · Lashkari Mandir
New Delhi, Delhi · temple
A deep-red 17th-century Jain temple opposite the Red Fort, with gilded upper halls and a charitable bird hospital — Old Delhi's oldest Jain shrine.
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is the oldest and best-known Jain temple in Delhi — a striking red-sandstone shrine that stands directly opposite the Red Fort at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk, its deep-red walls giving it the popular name Lal Mandir, the 'Red Temple'. Its origins reach back to 1656, when Emperor Shah Jahan founded the walled city of Shahjahanabad and Jain merchants and soldiers settled nearby; a Jain officer in the Mughal army is said to have kept a Tirthankara idol in his camp, which grew into a shrine long known as the Urdu or Lashkari Mandir of the army-camp bazaar.
Pure-vegetarian stuffed fried parathas in the historic lane
Pure-veg thalis, chaat, samosas and sweets
Vegetarian Karachi halwa and mithai made without animal fat or eggs
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is the oldest and best-known Jain temple in Delhi — a striking red-sandstone shrine that stands directly opposite the Red Fort at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk, its deep-red walls giving it the popular name Lal Mandir, the 'Red Temple'.
entry is free, and the temple runs two daily darshan windows (morning and evening) with a long midday closure that shifts a little by season. Remove footwear, leave leather items outside, dress modestly, and note that photography inside the sanctum is restricted. Allow about 45 minutes for the temple and the bird hospital; the surrounding lanes are extremely crowded, so come early and travel by metro or cycle-rickshaw.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: Free entry to the temple and the Jain Birds Hospital. Donations are voluntary; leather items must be left outside.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Netaji Subhash Marg, opposite Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi, 110006
Directly opposite the Red Fort at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk
🚇 Nearest Metro: Lal Qila (Violet Line) — a few hundred metres; Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line) ~1.3 km
🚶 Walking from Metro: From Lal Qila metro (Violet Line) it is about a 5-minute walk to the temple opposite the Red Fort.
Distance from
Parking
none · None practical
No practical parking in the congested Chandni Chowk core — arrive by metro or cycle-rickshaw.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Cabs cannot enter the pedestrianised Chandni Chowk core; alight at Lal Qila metro and walk, or take a cycle-rickshaw.
How to Reach: The temple is on Netaji Subhash Marg, opposite the Red Fort at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. Nearest metro: Lal Qila (Violet Line), a few hundred metres, and Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line), about 1.3 km. It is an easy walk from Lal Qila metro or a cycle-rickshaw from Chandni Chowk.
History
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir traces to 1656, the era when Shah Jahan founded Shahjahanabad and invited Agrawal Jain merchants to settle near Dariba.
🏛️ Architect: Built chiefly in red sandstone in a North Indian temple idiom with 19th-century additions — carved pillars, a compact multi-storey plan suited to its dense Old Delhi setting, and gilded, hand-painted upper-floor shrine rooms.
Significance
It is Delhi's foremost and most ancient Jain temple — the landmark red 'Lal Mandir' opposite the Red Fort, principally dedicated to Bhagwan Parshvanath, and renowned for its adjoining charitable Jain Birds Hospital.
The great red-sandstone Mughal fort of Shahjahanabad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, directly opposite.
The historic, teeming main bazaar of Old Delhi and its legendary vegetarian food lanes.
An old Shiva temple adjoining the Lal Mandir on Chandni Chowk.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Free outside; no photography inside the sanctum.
📍 The Golden Spot: The red-sandstone façade with the Red Fort behind, in morning light.
🌅 Best Light Time: Early morning before the bazaar crowds build.
🌅 Secret View: The gilded upper-floor shrine rooms, reached by narrow stairs, are the temple's hidden highlight and are missed by many visitors.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Come at opening in the morning window, before Chandni Chowk turns shoulder-to-shoulder.
💎 Secret Fact: The adjoining Jain Birds Hospital treats thousands of birds a year — a rare charitable avian hospital rooted in the Jain principle of non-violence.
⚡ Express Tour
30 minutes — the main sanctum, the upper shrines and the bird hospital.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Half day — the temple, then a vegetarian food walk through Chandni Chowk and Dariba Kalan.
👕 Dress Code: Modest dress covering shoulders and knees; footwear and leather removed at the entrance.
📷 Photography Rules: Photography of the exterior is fine; photography inside the sanctum is generally not permitted.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs along Chandni Chowk and near Lal Qila metro (within 1 km).
Entry is free. The temple runs two daily darshan windows with a long midday closure — roughly 6:00 AM–12:00 PM and 5:30 PM–9:00 PM in winter, with mornings running later in summer.
Lal Qila on the Violet Line is just a few hundred metres away; Chandni Chowk on the Yellow Line is about 1.3 km. It is a short walk or cycle-rickshaw ride.
It is a charitable avian veterinary hospital beside the temple that treats thousands of injured and sick birds each year, reflecting the Jain principle of ahimsa (non-violence).
Yes — traced to 1656, it is Delhi's oldest and most prominent Jain temple, famous for its red-sandstone architecture and gilded upper-floor shrines.
Remove footwear, leave leather items outside, dress modestly, avoid photography inside the sanctum, and plan around the morning or evening darshan windows rather than the midday break.
Chandni Chowk at the doorstep is one of India's best vegetarian food districts — Paranthe Wali Gali, Haldiram's and legendary sweet shops are all a short walk away.