Sachiya Mata Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jodhpur Airport is the nearest airport to Osian.

• By train

  Osiyan station is on the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer line; its single platform is where passenger, express and superfast trains halt.

• By road

  Osian lies 69 km by road north of Jodhpur, on a diversion off the Jodhpur to Bikaner Highway. State Highway 61 passes through the town.

Rules to know

• Several Jain clans conduct their Mundan-Sanskar ceremony at this temple.

Why devotees come here

Sachiya Mata Temple stands on a hill in Osian, an ancient town in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. Jains worship Sachiya Mata as a protector of the Oswal clan. Osian is known for a cluster of ruined Hindu and Jain temples from the 8th to 12th century.

Jains worship Sachiya Mata as a protector of the land and of the Oswal clan. Legend says Acharya Ratnaprabhasuri made Chamunda vegetarian and consecrated her as Sachiya Mata, because she followed the path of non-violence. Several Jain clans conduct their Mundan-Sanskar ceremony here, and many communities across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and North India also worship her. She is also called Shri Osiya Mataji.

The temple has many decorative features of a Jain temple, and its establishment is attributed to Jains. Utpaldev, brother of Raja Punj, is recorded as the builder in the account of Osian. An inscription dated 956 AD was found at the temple. Osian was once a large town, and 108 temples were found there.

The temple sits on a hill north-east of the Mahavira Temple. Of the 18 shrines in Osian, the Surya Temple, Sachiya Mata Temple, Katan Bawari and the Jain temple of Mahavira stand out for their grace and architecture.

Tips for your visit

• Jodhpur lies near the geographic centre of Rajasthan, which makes it a convenient base for travel.
• Surya Temple and Katan Bawari are two other shrines in Osian that stand out for their architecture.

Questions people ask