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The Jain Temple complex of Ranakpur is abouttwo and half hour’s drive from Jodhpur. Sowhen my chauffeur brought the car to a

sudden halt, after barely an hour’s drive, I was a bit surprised. We were at the Chotila village and my driverwanted to get down at a temple. No building resemblinga temple in sight increased my curiosity. I couldn’t havebeen more surprised when the driver pointed his fingerat a parked Royal Enfield motorbike and said, “There itis”. The place was overcrowded with tourist buses andcabs parked around the area. Travellers were busy

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5 India & You March-April 2011

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A spot of faithin the Aravalis

Ranakpur

Ranakpur, a collection of Jain

temples in southern Rajasthan, is a

major pilgrimage centre for Jains from

all over the world. But the unique

architecture and the setting of the

temples also make it a very attractive

tourism destination as Shivani Pandey

recently discovered

Chaumukka Mandir Jain temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan

Ranakpur article:Tourism.qxd 3/3/2011 7:36 PM Page 2

These Jain temples from the 15th century are dedicated to the first Tirthankara or Jain teacher,Rishabh. It is amongst the five major pilgrimage sites ofthe Jains. Out of the four temples in the complex, theChaumukha temple, is the most important. Chaumukhaor four faced, as it is called, has four sides to it. Chaumukha Temple is dedicated to Lord Adinath orRishabh Dev, the first Tirthankara or Jain teacher out ofthe 24.

The Jains believe that Rishabha was the firstTirthankar of the present age which they call Avasarpini.As he was the first teacher he was named din th or the

original lord. Born to King Nabhi Raja and QueenMarudevi at Ayodhya in the Ikshvaku clan the legend hasit that Rishabha existed before civilisation came into existence. He had a total of one hundred and one children. Of all his children, four were prominent – sonsBharat Chakravati and Bahubali and daughters, Bhramiand Sundari. According to Jain beliefs, India was namedBh rata-varsha or Bh rata after Adinath’s eldest sonBharat.

The Chaumukha temple has four different entrygates to get into the chambers. These chambers lead youto the main hall where the image of Adinath is placed. According to a legend, Dharna Sah dreamed of a celestial vehicle. Enchanted by that vision he made apromise to himself and invited architects from all overIndia to design a temple. He finally assigned the sculptor Depa who brought to him a draft that suitedDharna Sah's vision. The construction of the mainshrine alone took more than 50 years.

The Ranakpur Jain Temple was built during the reignof the generous and talented Rajput monarch RanaKumbha in the 15th century, and today the town and thetemples bear his name – Ranakpur. The massive basement spreads over 4800 sq mt and covers the wholecomplex. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty-fourpillared halls and domes supported by over four hundredcolumns. The total numbers of columns are 1,444 all of


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clicking pictures of the motorbike. Weird as it may soundthis shrine is dedicated to a Royal Enfield motorbike!

Digging into the folds of history, often carried by human-beings as repositories, I found a legend living inthe mind of my driver. It led me to a paranormal story.“Om Bana”, as he was fondly called, had a terrible accident at the same site. His bike fell into a ditch and hedied instantly. The bike, towed by the police to the nearest police station, as usually happens, was somehowfound at the accident spot the following day. People wereshocked and the next day they brought the bike to the

police station again and this time emptied the fuel tankand chained the bike to a pole. The unnerving thing, thathappened, is that the next day the bike was again foundon the same spot with broken chains.

The rest of the journey to Ranakpur passed in thetelling of this unusual story. The two and half hour drivefrom Jodhpur through the small district of Pali led me toRanakpur. The main Udaipur highway is smooth withbeautiful landscapes pleasing the eyes on both sides. Thehilly terrain springs up surprises as it reveals water-fallsand greenery all around. The weather, the foliage and thewhole scenery was very poetic and romantic. The approach to the small village of Ranakpur was typical.Cows, dogs, ran across the small lanes of the town. Village belles wearing lehenga and choli had their duppatta stuffed between their teeth in a bid to covertheir faces. Dhoti clad men waited to board the rusty village bus.

As I entered the huge complex the fresh air and village vibrancy softened my senses. I noticed the temple compound was exceptionally clean. The temple,all glory in white marble, had an overwhelming feelingabout it. This place is huge with four different templessituated in the same compound. Its location in an isolated valley of the western Aravalli Range adds to itsmagnificent setting. There are four major temples in thesame complex— Chaumukha temple, Parsavanath temple, Neminath (22nd saint) temple and the Suryatemple.


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Inside the Chaumukka Mandir Jain temple at Ranakpur

“Om Bana” the famous holy Bike Place


imagination. The domes, carved in concentric bands andthe brackets connecting the base of the dome with thetop, are covered with figures of deities.

The foundation of the temple was so made that thethree-storey structure, with its numerous pavilions,could be supported by the temple foundation itself.Beautiful turrets rise from this wall and each of them relates to a cell on the inner face of the wall. Five spires(shikars) rise above the walls and about 20 cupolas eachform the roof of a pillared hall. Each spire again has ashrine below, the biggest and the most spectacular is theone that surmounts the central altar.

The most remarkable thing about the temple is thewonderful play of light and shade on the nearly 1,500 pillars. The temples are architectural marvels and it isbelieved that one pillar is different from the others in design. As the sun’s rays shift through the day the pillarschange their color from gold to pale blue in the mandap(prayer hall). The two big bells of 108 kg each produce aharmonious sound on the movement. Chaumukha temple is formed like a Nalinigulm Vimana and gives thewhole structure a divine appearance.

The Temple of Parsavanath is another attraction thatis worth visiting. Built in the mid 15th century, the temple is renowned for its engraved windows embellished with Jain figures. Parsavanath Temple is

also known as Patriyon Ka Mandir. In the vicinity of thistemple, you can trace two other temples dedicated to Neminath (22nd saint) and Surya Narayan (Sun God) respectively. Here, Surya Narayan Temple has innumerable wall projections with circular structure.The sight of Lord Surya driving in his chariot of sevenhorses is truly pleasing.

Ranakpur is a cyclical celebration of life, religioussentiment, faith, divinity, and sculpture. And it was mygood fortune that I not only witnessed a marvel in whitebut also did a pilgrim people so wish to be part of.Ranakpur, in a way, renews faith in life. ■


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which are intricately carved with no two similar pillarsanywhere in the complex. The creatively carved damselsplaying the flute in various dance postures at a height of45 feet is an interesting sight. In the assembly hall, thereare two big bells weighing 108 kg each whose soundechoes throughout the entire complex.

The main temple is the Adinath or Chaumukha tem-ple (the four-faced temple) dedicated to the firstTirthankara Adinath. Tucked away deep in the forestedAravalli hills, this is easily one of the most beautiful Jaintemples in India. Built in the 15th century, the detailedand intricate carving on the marble looks like lace workand not stone carving. The 15th century Adishwar temple or the Chaumaukha temple built by Seth DhannaShah is a fine work of art. It is in the form of a NalinigulmVimana (heavenly aircraft) that Shah had seen in hisdream. Designed by Dipa Shilpi, it took 65 years (1367- 1432) to erect and is the largest and most complex Jain temple in India.

Though the temples are over 500 years old they arevery well preserved. No other place in Rajasthan has thesame ambience and setting as that of Ranakpur whosebeauty has been emphasised by its own isolation. Theuniqueness of the temples of Ranakpur lies in their styleand design. The ceilings are carved with fine lace-likefoliate scrollwork and geometric patterns that defy


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Roof of the Chaumukka Mandir Jain temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan

Foundation of the Chaumukka Mandir Jain temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan


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