Ranakpur, The Tranquil Pilgrimage Town of Jains

  • General Information

    District:
    Pali
    State:
    Rajasthan
    Country:
    India
    Area:
    5 Sq. Km.
    Language Spoken:
    Rajasthani, Hindi, English
    Long Distance Code:
    +91-2934
    Importance:
    Famous for innurmerous beautifully marble carved Jain temples
    Best Time To Visit:
    October to March

  • Description:

    Ranakpur is named after Rana Kumbha. Once, Dharna Sah came to him asking for a land to construct a Jain temple, which he had dreamt of. The same temple is today is famous for its marvelous carvings in amber stone and has become one of the five holy places of the Jain community. These temples constructed in 1739 A.D. are exceptionally beautiful.

  • Location:

    Ranakpur is situated in a remote valley of the Aravali range of hills around 60 kms. North of Udaipur in Pali district. This small town boasts of one of the largest and most important Jain temples in the country. The place is well connected through a road network to other places in the region.

Ranakpur Jain Temple

Ranakpur Jain TempleRanakpur has an exceptionally beautiful temple complex in the Aravali ranges. Around eight kms away is Sadri, which also has temples and an old dargah of Khudabaksh baba. The Varaha-avatar temple and the Chintamani temples are supposed to be the oldest ones.The Jain temples were built during the reign of the liberal and gifted Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty four pillared halls and domes, supported by over four hundred coloumns. The total number of coloumns is 1,444 and all of them are intricately cared with none of them being alike. There nymphs playing flutes and various dance postures on these 45 feet high coloumns. The assembly hall has two big bells weighing nearly 108 kilograms, their sound echoes in the entire complex. The main temple is the Chaumukh or the four faced temple dedicated to Adinath.The artistic sculptures lie like scattered jewels. The myriad ornate 'torans' or festoons with minute and delicate carvings are a delight to see. There are innumerable elegant and lofty pillars and a large number of shikhars or spires which make a unique pattern in the face of the sky. The temple has four artistic entrances. In the main chamber of the temple are four huge white marble idols of the Jain Tirthankar or revealer of truth Shri Adinath. These 72 inches tall idols face four directions. Because of these images facing four directions, the temple acquired the name of Chaturmukh temple. On the second and third floor too, there are identical Jain images.