Ranakpur Jain temple Ranakpur

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About Ranakpur Jain temple

Ranakpur Temple is a beautiful structure carved in stone. Renowned for its fabulous architectural style, Ranakpur temple is situated in Ranakpur village that falls under Pali district of Rajasthan. For the followers of Jainism, Ranakpur temples are of great importance, as they make one of the five major pilgrimage sites. One can easily reach Ranakpur Temple from anywhere in Rajasthan. and the Chaumukha temple is dedicated to Lord Adinath, who is the first 'Tirthankara' of the Jains.

The temple is beautiful from the outside but the four of us were amazed by the beauty on the inside. The entire temple is carved from white marble and over 1,444 pillars hold up the ceiling. All of the carvings were intricate in detail, portraying people, elephants, flowers, and geometrical patterns.

Apart from this, another stunning act about these columns is that they change their colour from golden to pale blue after every hour during the day. In the mandap, the two big bells of 108 kg each produce a harmonious sound on the movement. Chaumukha temple is formed like a Nalinigulm Vimana and provides this whole structure with a celestial appearance. Conceivably, it is due to the intricacy of the structure that the temple took approximately 65 years to complete.

The vast temple complex comprises Chaumukha Temple, Parsavanath Temple, Amba Mata Temple and Surya Temple. Chaumukha Temple is the most prominent amongst all of them. The term 'Chaumukha' means four-faced.

The best time to visit this temple is from October to March as, during any other time, northern India can be very hot and dry.

Arrive by car or bus only. The closest airport is in Udaipur and the closest train station is Falna, located 36 kilometres away. We hired a driver for the day, left Udaipur at 9:30 arrive at Ranakpur at noon, and then had a three-hour drive to Jodhpur.

Distance to Udaipur – 93 km (2.5 hours)
Distance to Jodhpur – 156 km (3 hours)
Distance to Jaipur – 357 km (5 hours)

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Udaipur

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Jalore Wildlife Sanctuary is the only privately-owned sanctuary in India and is located 130 km from Jodhpur near Jalore town.

Mount Abu

The only hill station in Rajasthan, Mount Abu is located 475 km from Jaipur,

Ranakpur Temple is thought to have been built by Seth Dharna Shah, who was a prominent Jain businessman, with the help of Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. The king helped the Seth on a condition that the temples would be named after him and accordingly the temples were tabbed. Sited in a solitary valley on the western part of the Aravalli Hills, the temples are undoubtedly laudable for their wonderful architecture. The huge structure of the temple is entirely raised in light colour marble. One of the largest subterranean vaults makes the base of this colossal temple sprawling in an area of 48000 sq ft.

Ranakpur Temple is open every day. Tourists are allowed to tour the temple from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The temple is open for prayer prior to 12:00 pm.