Ranakpur Jain Temple - Most Sacred for Jain

 

There are a total of 5 temples in India that are considered the most sacred for Jain. One of them is Ranakpur Jain Temple. Ranakpur Jain Temple is located near Sadri town in Pali district, Rajasthan between Udaipur and Jodhpur. It also goes by the name of Charturmukha Dharana Vihara and is dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha who was the first Tirthankara of Jainism and he also founded the Ikshvaku dynasty.

 

Ranakpurpur Jain Temple was built to order by a local businessman named Darna Shah. Shah sought the land to build the temple from King Rana Kumbha. Not only did King Rana Kumbha give a big piece of land to build the temple on, but he also asked to build a town around it. The town built was named Ranakpur, after the king, and the same town is now known as Ranakpur. The construction of the temple began in the 14th century and went on till the 15th  century.

 

 

Chaturmukha/Chaumukha Temple: Built in the 15th century using white marble, it is the most popular temple in the complex and it honours Adinath, also known as Rishabanatha. This temple is spread across 48,000 square feet and is known for its intricacy and beautifully carved 1444 pillars, 426 columns, 89 domes, and 29 halls. 1444 pillars that support the temple have been carved with exquisite detail that is nearly impossible to do even today.

 

 

One of the most attractive features of the temple is the beautifully carved idol of Parshvanatha. It has been made out of a single slab of marble. Its beauty in the detail is due to the 1008 snake carefully crafted around the idol. The same idol also has two chauri bears and yaksha and yakshi, who are half-human and half-snake. There are also two elephants carved both side, that seem to be purifying Parshavanath. The Ranakpur Jain Mandir also has 84 bhonyras (Underground Chambers) that were built in the earlier times during disturbance to prevent the attacks on Jain idols. It is said that the design of Ranakpur Jain Temple was used as an inspiration to design Dilwara Temple.

 

Suparshvanatha Temple: Supershvanatha is the seventh Tirthankara and this temple is dedicated to him. The intricate designs are present even in this temple. It is also popular for the erotic arts on the wall.

 

Surya Temple: The construction of this sun temple dates back to the 13th century, full 2 centuries before the construction of Ranakpur Jain Temple. But it got desecrated during the time of disturbance due to repeated attacks and was later reconstructed with the remaining temple complex.

 

Seth ki Baadi Mandir: Jainism has two branches Shwetambar and Digambar, named after the two gods. Shwetambar means “white-clad”. The ascetics from this branch of Jainism wear white clothes. The other branch is Digambara which means “sky-clad”. The ascetics from this branch practice nudity. Seth ki baadi mandir in the complex is dedicated to Shwetambar bhagwan and is popular for the exquisite murals on its walls.

 

Chougan ka Mandir: The current cycle of Jainism has 24 Tirthankaras. Tirthankars are the spiritual teachers of Jainism, the first of which was Rishabanath or Adinath and the last was Mahavira. The next Tirthanakar is said to be the first Tirthankar of the next cycle. Chougan ka mandir in the Ranakpur Jain Temple is dedicated to the first tirthanakar of the next cycle.

 

If you are looking for places to visit in Rajasthan, Ranakpur Jain Temple must be on your list. It is recommended you to visit Ranakpur Jain Temple in winters. The weather is pleasant at the time and you can take your time exploring the temple properly. The timing of Ranakpur temple is 12 pm to 5 pm. There is no entry fee but the priest who will be your guide in the temple will ask for a donation for the time spent.

 

Ranakpur is pleated away in a remote valley in the Aravali range. It is one of the largest and most important Jain Temples in the country.  Ranakpur is well connected through Air, Rail and Road network to other place in India.

 

By Air: The nearest airport is Udaipur 60 km south of Ranakpur. There are regular flights to Delhi, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Jodhpur, and Mumbai from Udaipur.

 

By Rail: The nearest railway station from Ranakpur is Phalna and the major railway station is Udaipur. Most of the tourists prefer going to Udaipur to catch a train as it offers more choice.

 

By Road: There are frequent express buses from Udaipur that take around three hours to reach Ranakpur.