Ranakpur Jain Temples

Ranakpur Jain Temples      
  

  

 Ranakpur is located in the mountain ranges of Pali district, Rajasthan  23 kms away from the Phalna railway station. Ranakpur is situated between lush green valleys and beautiful streams and the heart capturing views. It is home to a very beautiful temple complex in the Aravali ranges. The place is well connected through a road network to other places in the region. Ranakpur in Rajasthan, India  has one of the biggest and most important Jain temple complexes of India, covering an area nearly 4500 square yards, and having 29 halls. Located about 200 km from Jodhpur, Ranakpur is one of the five most important pilgrimage sites of Jainism. Chaumukha temple is dedicated to Lord Adinath, the first 'Tirthankara. 

                   

The Ranakpur Jain Temple was built during the reign of the liberal and gifted Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, in the AD 1439. The basement is of 48,000 sq. feet area that covers the whole complex. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty-four pillared halls and domes supported by over four hundred columns. The total number of columns is 1,444 all of which are intricately carved with no two being alike.  

 

The main temple is the Adinath or Chaumukha temple (the four-faced temple) dedicated to the first tirthankara Adinath. Built in the 15th century, the detailed and intricate carving on the marble looks like lace work rather than stone carving. The 15th century Adishwar temple or the Chaumaukha temple built by Sheth Dhanna Shah is a fine structure. It is in the form of a Nalinigulm Vimana (heavenly aircraft) that Shah had seen in his dream. Designed by Dipa Shilpi it took 65 years (1367- 1432) to erect and is the largest and most complex Jain temple in India. It also boasts of being one of the five most important holy shrines of the Jains.  

 

 The temple has 29 halls, 80 domes and the pavilions include 1444 pillars.The best feature about these pillars is that no two pillars are alike in design and sculptures.  The first Jain saint Adinathji or Rishabhadev is surrounded by several other smaller shrines and domes. 

   

Dhanna Shah, the founder of the temples at Ranakpur, had approached Rana Kumbha to ask for some land to build a temple. The Rana gladly agreed on one condition that the temple should bear his name. Hence the temple site on the banks of the river Maghai came to be known as Ranakpur and is one of the five main holy places of the Jains. 

  

The temples are over 500 years old but well preserved. According to a legend, Dharna Sah dreamed of a celestial vehicle. Enchanted by that vision he made a promise to himself and invited architects from all over India to design a temple. Finally he recruited the sculptor Depa who brought to him a draft that suited Dharna Sah's vision. The construction of the main shrine alone took more than 50 years.

 Temple of the Sun God

  

The most remarkable thing of the temple is the wonderful play of light and shade on the nearly 1,500 pillars. As the sun rays shift through the day the pillars colour change from gold to pale blue.