Osian, the temple town at the edge of the dunes

A caravan town and its kings

• Caravan wealth: camel caravans carried goods between Gujarat's ports and the northern plains, and towns like Osian grew rich on the trade.
• Money for gods: their merchants and rulers built temples that still stand.
• The oldest Jain temple in western India: Jain texts date the Mahavira shrine to the reign of the Pratihara king Vatsaraja, around 783 CE.
• Supporting evidence: an inscription of 956 CE found here backs up the town's early history.
• Four centuries of Hindu temples: shrines to Vishnu, to Surya the sun god, to Harihara, Vishnu and Shiva in a single form, and to the goddess.
• Why it matters: together they form one of the most important groups of early temple architecture in Rajasthan.
• The fall: at the end of the twelfth century the armies of Muhammad of Ghor sacked the town, destroying many buildings, and the trade moved elsewhere.
• How it survived: Osian became too small to matter, and its two great shrines, the Mahavira temple and the hilltop temple of Sachiya Mata, were never abandoned.
• A thousand years of pilgrims: they have kept coming, and they still do.
• Birthplace of the Oswals: one of India's great Jain merchant communities takes its name from the town.
• The conversion story: Jain tradition tells that the monk Ratnaprabhasuri converted the people here, and the town's goddess became guardian of the new faith.

How to read an Osian temple

• The spire: above it rises the shikhara, built up from layers of carved stone like a mountain.
• The hall: in front of the sanctum is the mandapa, where worshippers gather.
• Doorways first: the river goddesses stand either side, Ganga on her crocodile and Yamuna on her tortoise, purifying everyone who passes between them.
• Above the door: small panels show the planets, the gods or scenes from the stories.
• The outer walls: niches of gods and goddesses, bands of foliage, overflowing pots and the kirtimukha, the face of glory, guarding the threshold.
• Panchayatana: some Harihara temples have a main shrine with four smaller shrines at the corners of the platform.
• Full of life: dancers, musicians, lovers, Krishna as a child stealing butter, Vishnu in his incarnations.
• Worn faces: many have worn smooth, which somehow makes them more human.
• Before Ranakpur and Dilwara: our guide to reading Rajasthani architecture helps before the Jain temples of Ranakpur and Dilwara, which grew from this tradition centuries later.

The temples, one by one

Sachiya Mata, the goddess on the hill

• Family goddess: today she is the kuldevi of the Oswal Jains and of many Hindu families too. You'll see both faiths on the steps.
• Built and rebuilt: over many centuries, with older shrines and carvings worked into the later structure.
• The climb: carved columns, small subsidiary shrines and bells to ring on the way up.
• At the top: a busy, cheerful courtyard where families tie red threads, offer coconut and sweets and sit together afterwards.
• The view: over the town, the temples and the dunes beyond.
• Blessings: newly married couples come for the goddess's blessing, and families bring babies for their first haircut, the mundan.
• Visit with respect: dress modestly and ask before photographing anyone at prayer. Our temple etiquette guide has the details.

The dunes beyond the temples

• The light: the sand turns pink, then copper, and then the stars come out.
• The camels: they belong to village families, and the herders who lead them usually grew up with the animals.
• Our standards: operators who keep camels well fed and rested, never overloaded and never ridden in the midday heat. Our ethical animal encounters guide explains more.
• The camel's story: our piece on the camels of Rajasthan tells how the animal made desert life possible.
• By jeep instead: covers more ground and visits villages where Rajput, Bishnoi and Raika families still farm bajra and herd goats.
• Tented camps: several sit among the dunes, so you can stay the night instead of driving back to Jodhpur in the dark.
• The real reason to stay: silence, a fire, folk musicians after dinner and a sky full of stars. Our guide to stargazing in the Thar explains what to look for.
• Desert-edge wildlife: shy chinkara gazelle, peacocks around the village wells, and in winter larks, wheatears and the occasional raptor in the fields.

Osian today

• Hindu pilgrims: come for the goddess in the morning and leave by lunch. By late afternoon the town is quiet again.
• Village food: bajra roti with garlic chutney and a spoon of ghee, kadhi of buttermilk and gram flour, and ker sangri.
• Sweets: fresh peda made from reduced milk, from the bazaar.
• Full meals: most guests eat lunch at their camp or back in Jodhpur, but chai at a stall near the temples is part of any visit.
• Walk between temples: carved doorways, a woman drawing water, children in uniform racing to see who you are, old men arguing over cards under a neem tree.
• No pressure: nobody here expects you to buy anything.

Where to stay near Osian

Combining Osian with the rest of Marwar

When to come to Osian

• April to June: fierce heat. Nearby Phalodi recorded 51°C in May 2016, the highest temperature ever measured in India.
• Summer plan: we visit the temples at first light and stay out of the sun after nine.
• Monsoon, July to September: occasional heavy rain and a brief flush of green.
• Navratri crowds: the two nine-night festivals of the goddess, in spring and autumn, are the busiest times at Sachiya Mata.
• Festival fairs: they fill the hill and the town, and the atmosphere is wonderful if you don't mind crowds. Our page on Navratri in Rajasthan explains more.
• Jain festivals: especially Paryushan in late summer, bring pilgrims to the Mahavira temple.

Getting to Osian

• How most visit: a half day from Jodhpur, or a stop on the way to Khimsar, Nagaur, Bikaner or Jaisalmer.
• Getting around: the temples are close together. We drive between the clusters and walk around each one.
• Planning drives: our getting around guide explains how we put the long stretches in the middle of the day.
• On a journey: Osian fits naturally into our desert triangle journey, linking Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

How long to give Osian, and what most visitors miss

• Two or three days: let you add the cranes of Khichan at dawn in winter, the fort at Khimsar and the restored fort of Nagaur.
• Missed most often: the carved walls of the Harihara group, which many visitors skip on their way to the busier shrines.
• Also missed: Surya's tall boots, Ganga and Yamuna at the sanctum doors, and the small kirtimukha faces guarding each threshold.
• The view from the hill: at the top of Sachiya Mata the whole town, its temples and the dunes beyond lie spread out below.
• The walk itself: strolling between the temple clusters, rather than driving, is where you meet the town.
• Katan baori: the old stepwell, a few quiet minutes most people never find.

A perfect day at Osian

• Next morning: continue to Khimsar or Nagaur, or head west to the camps of Manvar on the way to Jaisalmer.

Who will love Osian, and who won't

• Photographers: the temples are small enough to frame against the sky, the light is clean and dry, and dune sunsets need no help.
• Families: children usually enjoy the camel ride and the climb to Sachiya Mata more than the temples, so we keep the temple part short and lively.
• Not for you if: you want palaces, a museum or shopping. There are few comfortable places to sit in the middle of the day.
• Short on time: with only two days in Jodhpur and Mehrangarh or the old city still unseen, spend your time there first.
• Want golden sand seas: save your desert night for the dunes beyond Jaisalmer, or the camps of Manvar between the two cities.

What we tell friends before Osian

• Bring a scarf or shawl: it covers shoulders at the temples and keeps sun and sand off on the dunes.
• Photograph with care: ask before photographing people at prayer, and never shoot inside the sanctum of a living temple without permission.
• Your camel ride, your call: take only the ride you are comfortable with, and don't be pushed into a longer one.
• Carry small notes: for offerings, chai and tips. Card machines are scarce in Osian.
• Know your taste: Osian is best for lovers of old stone and quiet places. If you only want big monuments, spend the time in Jodhpur.