Osian

Osian lies in the dry country of Marwar in western Rajasthan, where settlement depends on water management and routes crossing the desert margin. Cultivation occupies suitable ground, while livestock and trade supplement local livelihoods. Wells and reliable stopping places support movement between scattered communities. The ability to connect inland markets gives some settlements importance beyond the agricultural resources available in their immediate surroundings.

Osian's Hindu and Jain temples date mainly from the eighth to twelfth centuries, when it was a religious and trading centre under the Gurjara-Pratiharas. The Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira was renovated in the twelfth century and remained an important place of pilgrimage. These buildings provide a background to later Marwar.