Shantinath Jain Shwetambar Temple (Derasar)

Shri Shantinath Jain Shwetambar Mandir is a serene derasar (Jain temple) tucked into the Doctor Colony lanes off Hira Lal Marg, just behind Railway Road and within easy walking distance of Triveni Ghat in the heart of Rishikesh.

• It is dedicated to Bhagwan Shantinath, the sixteenth of Jainism's twenty-four Tirthankaras — the enlightened teachers who, in the Jain tradition, showed the path across the ocean of worldly existence.
• Shantinath's name means "Lord of Peace," and his emblem is the deer; devotees associate him especially with tranquillity and the vow of non-violence (ahimsa) that lies at the centre of Jain life.
• In a town famous for its Hindu ghats, ashrams and the roar of the Ganga, this quiet temple adds a distinct and often-overlooked Jain devotional presence.
• The shrine follows the Shwetambar tradition, one of Jainism's two major sects, whose idols are typically depicted with inlaid eyes and adornment.
• The mulnayak (principal idol) is a marble image of Shantinath seated in the meditative padmasana posture, installed in a small, well-kept sanctum.
• The interior is understated rather than grand — carved stonework, soft lamplight and the hush that Jain temples cultivate so that worshippers can perform darshan and quiet contemplation.
• A community complex around the derasar reportedly includes an upashray (hall for monks and religious study), a dharamshala for pilgrim lodging and a bhojanshala serving simple vegetarian meals, making it a modest hub for Jain families passing through Rishikesh and the wider Char Dham circuit.
• For all visitors, regardless of faith, a few Jain temple customs apply and are worth knowing in advance.
• Remove shoes before entering, and — importantly for Jain shrines — leave behind leather items such as belts, wallets and bags, since leather is considered incompatible with the temple's ahimsa ethos.
• Dress modestly, keep your voice low, and ask before photographing the sanctum.
• Menstruating women, by convention, do not enter the inner shrine.
• The temple keeps its own devotional rhythm with morning and evening rituals, and typically observes a long midday closure.
• For vegetarian travellers, Rishikesh could hardly be easier: the entire city is vegetarian and alcohol-free by law, so every eatery around Triveni Ghat and Railway Road is pure-veg by default.
• The Jain community kitchen here, when open to visitors, leans satvik — often cooked without onion and garlic in keeping with Jain dietary discipline — and the surrounding lanes brim with thali houses, chaat stalls and sweet shops.
• A visit pairs naturally with the evening Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat, only minutes away on foot.