Jain Temple Charity Bird Hospital

I think we surprised our one-day guide here in Delhi by asking to visit the Jain temple located in the old city. He had never been there, he admitted. The temple itself was buried inside an arcade sheltered block of stalls that gave no clue that anything special was inside.I have a particular fondness for the Jain sect. This is based on the very little I know about them. Non-violent to a fault, they believe that it's wrong to kill anything, and thus can sometimes be found wearing masks over their mouths to prevent the entry of a stray insect (not an unheard of occurrence in this country). Apparently it's also not uncommon to find them naked - the reasons for this I am not certain because in this hotel room Google does not respond to my requests for enlightenment on this subject - or any other subject as a matter of fact. However I continue to to probe, so stay tuned.*We had to circle the block to find an entrance to the temple and when we did it was necessary to leave everything, especially anything made with leather, with the guard at the door. We had, as is always the custom at religious sites in India, already removed our shoes, but this time we also had to leave our wallets behind. We were ushered one at a time in the company of our guide up the stairs into the temple. David and the guide went first. I sat on a stone bench enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I glanced over my shoulder and to my great joy I saw the sign for the Charity Bird Hospital which I had read about in the Lonely Planet and had put toward the top of my list of things I wanted to see in Delhi.My visit to the temple was truncated at it was past noon at this point and the temple was closing. At the top of a narrow stone staircase was a wall with low, almost child-sized decorative white metal doors. The guide knocked and the door swung open. Ducking into the small and intimate space was akin to walking into a jewel box owned by someone with good taste and a lovely large budget. The walls and ceiling were gold (leaf or paint I couldn't say for certain) inlaid with peacock blue and green enamel. There were small nooks sheltering flower garlanded Ganeshes (not sure that's the correct plural of Ganesh) sitting behind food offerings and a thin curtain of smoky incense. It was rather a whirlwind visit, but the overall effect was one of tranquility and subdued splendor.The Charity Bird Hospital adjacent to the temple is under the auspices of the Jains and is something only a true bird lover would relish visiting. But for a bird lover it is an truly inspirational experience - not that this facility is populated by exotic species lolling around being hand fed while their broken wings mend. While there are a few green parakeets and budgies, ninety present of the avian population are cage after cage filled with pigeons rescued from the streets and gutters. These are truly sad sacks who arrive near death. Some are rehabilitated, but I am guessing most will live out their remaining (and numbered) days in clean cages being well fed and lovingly cared for. As much as David grouses about having to share domestic space as well as my attention with Pearl, I could see he was touched by the whole scene. He outdrew me when it came to leaving a donation.Jain Temple in Old Delhi*All about Jain religion