The temple of the sixteenth Jain Tirthankar Shri Shantinathji at Nakoda Jain Tirtha is the first temple in the interior of Suraj Pol, the main entrance of the pilgrimage. Which is made of north facing modern white marble stone architecture. This temple was constructed in V.No. It was built in 1518 by Sanghapati Malashah of Sankhawal (Sankhalecha) Gotra on the heartfelt wish of his mother Kelhan Devi. Whose reputation is also V.No. In 1518, Jyeshtha Sudi 54 got it done by Shri Jinachandrasuriji, the pattadhar of Shri Jinbhadrasuriji, the founder of Jaisalmer Gyan Bhandar. It is told about the construction of Shri Shantinathji temple. That Kelhan Devi, wife of Shresthi Kelhashah (brother of Acharya Shri Kirtiratnasuriji) went with her neighboring women to visit the temple of Shri Parshvanath Prabhu of Nakoda. She was looking at the temple after ritually paying obeisance to Lord Parshvanath. As soon as he saw the peak of the temple, his face started turning pale. The neighbor woman standing nearby saw it and asked, 'Sister! What are you looking at so closely in the temple? Is there any flaw or defect in the temple? Kelhan Devi said, 'It is nothing like that. If the peak of the temple had been higher then the beauty of this temple would have been different. On this, the neighboring woman said, 'If this is your feeling, then why don't you build a temple with a high peak?' Kalhandevi came home somewhat saddened by these words of her neighbor woman. Kelhan Devi, the wife of Shresthi Kelhashah, came home and sat down in a sad mood without telling anything to anyone. Seeing his mother sad, Sanghapati Malashah asked the reason for this, then while discussing the conversation he had with the neighboring woman in the temple, she told about building a temple with a high peak in Nakoda Tirtha. Sanghapati Malashah agreed to fulfill his mother's wish. But they did not have the financial capacity to build a temple with a high peak. With a firm resolve in his mind to build a temple, he started meditating with oil. Here, his mother soon built a temple with a high peak, so he also started penance with oil. Mother . Nakoda head Shri Bhairavadevji was pleased with the penance done by his son to do auspicious work from his heart and indicated to dig a certain place to build a temple. The land was dug up. After finding the Parasmani in it, Sanghapati Malashah built a temple with a high peak as per the wish of his mother Kelhan Devi. In which the idol of Lord Shantinath was installed in the original form. Since then, this temple came to be known as 'Malashah Temple' due to it being the temple of Shri Shantinath and built by Sanghapati Malashah. After the construction of Shri Shantinath ji's temple, on its prestige, Kelhan Devi, the mother of Sanghapati Malashah Sankhwal (Sankhalecha), made a golden tongue and presented it to her neighbor woman with respect and honour. This temple of Shri Shantinathji is located in V.No. From 1518 to V.No. Till 1910 and later, for some reason, a new statue of Shri Shantinathji was installed in place of the original ancient statue of the same temple on V. No. 1910 Magh Sudi 5 Thursday by Shri Jinakshmasuriji's pattadhar Shri Jinpadmasuriji, but this temple still maintains its identity in the name of 'Shri Shantinathji's Temple' and 'Malashah Temple'. In this temple V.No. The articles of 1409, 1524, 1525, 1589, 1614, 1666, 1684, 1910, 2008, 2016 and 2046 are present at various places, being scratched to get various works done. Among the other Jain temples built in Nakora Tirtha, the temple of Shri Shantinathji is the largest, huge and with the highest peak. Whose entrance is decorated with carved sculptures on modern white marble stones. There, the pillars, roof etc. of the temple, Shringar Mandap, Navchowki, Sabha Mandap etc. are a unique treasure of artefacts. The beauty of the carved sculptures here and the design of the arches have enhanced the architectural beauty of the temple. In the original tomb of the temple, the statues of Shri Suparshwanathji and Shri Chandraprabhaji are installed on the sides of the statue of Moolnayak Shri Shantinath Bhagwan. In one trigokh of the esoteric pavilion of the temple, the idols of Shri Kirtiratnasuriji, Shri Jinadatsuriji and the feet of Shri Jinachandrasuri ji are installed and in the trigokh in front of them, the statues of Shri Rishabhdevji, Shri Vasupujyaji and the feet of Shri Jinadatsuri ji are established. Apart from the two Kausag statues of Lord Shri Neminath, many Jain statues are installed in the assembly hall of the temple. In the huge hall built on the east side of the temple, the statues of Shri Shantinathji and in the shawl built on the west side, based on the life of Shri Parshvanathji, the images of the eyebrows have been carved on the stones. There are also four Devkulikas on the four sides of this temple. In which the statues of Shri Rishabhdevji, Shri Neminathji, Shri Parshvanathji and Shri Mahavir Swami are installed along with Trigade. Whose reputation is V.No. 2016 Magh Shukla 14 Thursday and 2029 Magh Shukla 13 got it done by Acharya Shrimadvijay Himachal Surishwarji. Behind this temple of Shri Shantinath Prabhu, there is an independent temple of Shri Siddhachakra with modern architectural style in the temple premises itself. In addition to the north facing entrance of the Nakoda complex, this temple of Shri Shantinathji can also be visited from the east side of the temple of Shri Parshvanathji, the origin of the pilgrimage. By the way, after having the first darshan of this Shri Shantinath Bhagwan temple, there is a proper arrangement to go to the temple of Shri Parshvanathji situated on the western side of the same temple premises.
