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Delhi's oldest Digambara Jain temple , directly opposite the entrance to the Red Fort, at the east end of Chandni Chowk, was built in 1526, but has been modified and added to ever since, and remains a haven of tranquillity amid the noise and chaos of the main street. Though not as ornate as the fine temples in Gujarat and Rajasthan, it does boast detailed carvings, and gilded paintwork in the antechambers surrounding the main shrine to Parshvanath, the twenty-third tirthankara . You'll have to remove your shoes, and hand them over with your bags and all leather articles to a kiosk before entering. The Jain Bird Hospital (free but donations are appreciated), in the temple courtyard, puts into practice the Jain principle that all life is sacred, admitting up to sixty sick birds per day. It serves as a rescue sanctuary for partridges, caught and wounded by fowlers and bought in bulk by Jain merchants who bring them here to recover, and there are separate wards for pigeons, parrots, sparrows (notoriously vulnerable to deadly whirring ceiling fans) and domestic fowl. Squirrels, who will not hurt the birds, are also treated here, but birds of prey are seen on a strictly outpatient basis, as they are not vegetarian. Most of the cages are home to pigeons with a disease that brings on paralysis. As their condition improves they are moved to larger cages closer to the roof, and eventually released.
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