Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur is popularly known as the temple city of Rajasthan. The enigmatic Jain temples have captured tourists attention from times immemorial. It displays a fantastic blend of Hindu and Jain architectural style.
The famous Ranakpur Jain Temple exhibits art at its best on every inch. The temple was erected in the 15th century in the beautiful Aravali ranges. This massive marble pilgrim is revered as one amongst the five most important temples of the Jainism. There are innumerable pillars in this temple. These forty feet high pillars are carved each with a different design that bedazzles the visitor.
There are some beautifully carved small temples inside the complex as well. Shoes and leather objects are forbidden inside the temple Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
A famous antiquarian Ferguson comments that no other temple in the nation leaves a pleasing impression and arranges columns in the interiors as gracefully as done in the temples of Ranakpur.
You can witness the beauty of the Aravali range through visiting the wildlife sanctuary here. Panthers, deer, wild pigs, jackals, etc., are some of the animals you can see there Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
Spread over an area of 4,500 square yards and consisting of 29 halls, the Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the most important of the five major pilgrimage centres of Jainism. Also known as Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara, the temple dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha is located in Pali district of Rajasthan. The Ranakpur Tour is distinguished all across the globe for its brilliant architecture and was voted amongst the top 77 wonders of the world.
The temple honours Adinath, who was the first Tirthankar of the present half-cycle or ‘avasarpi’ according to Jain cosmology. Built during the reign of the Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, the temple complex consists of a total of four shrines. The construction of the temple was undertaken by Dhanna Shah, a local Jain businessman who saw a divine vision. The architectural style and stone carvings of the Ranakpur Temple are based on the ancient Mirpur Jain Temple that is located at Mirpur in Rajasthan.
The temple is designed as a ‘chaumukha‘, which means that it has four faces. This beautiful and marvellous structure carved in stone is well known all across India for its fantastic architecture style. The unique thing about the temple is its colour-changing columns. They go from golden to pale blue after every hour that passes during the day. Moreover, each of these columns has been carved intricately without repeating any designs. Hence, no two columns in the temple have similar designs. The two large bells in the prayer hall give a harmonious sound upon their movement and are like a cheerful song to the ears of the devotees.
Surya Narayan Temple
Sun Temple of Ranakpur is a famous Sun or Surya temple well known as the Surya Narayan Temple. This 13th-century temple was rebuilt in the 15th century after destruction. Sun temple is built with white limestone in Nagara style with a delicate ornamented work.
Sun temple is facing to the east direction and has a sanctum crowned with a Chikara. Sun temple is located near the Ranakpur Jain Temple. In this Surya Temple, the Lord Sun idol is shown as riding his chariot.
Temple wall has marvelous carvings of warriors, horses, and celestial bodies which represent the artistic excellence of the people of the bygone era. It has an octagonal mandap before the sanctum. There are six veranda’s in octogonal mandap.
Sun Narayan temple recieves many devotees from all around the country who came for the blessings of Lord Sun. Many devotees also visit the nearby temple of Amba Mata. This Sun temple is managed by the Udaipur Royal family trust Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
Muchhal Mahavir Temple
As the name suggests, Muchhal Mahavir Temple is dedicated to Lord Mahavir and is situated in the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary. The prime attraction of the temple is an idol of Lord Mahavir with a moustache.
The temple also features two sculptures of elephants at the entrance gateway in guarding position. A tribal village namely Garasia Tribal village lying in the proximity is also quite famous especially for its colourful costumes Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
Desuri
Another town that is dotted with several beautiful temples, Desuri is situated nearly 16 km from Ranakpur town. The prime attractions of the place are three temples each dedicated to three different Hindu deities namely Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman and Navi Mata.
The town is also home to an old mosque and an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Parsuram Mahadeo lying amid the majestic hills of the area Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
Sadri
A small town and municipality in the Pali District of Rajasthan, Sadri is one of the major worship places for the Jain Community and a landing place for the Ranakpur Jain Temple and Shri Parshuram Mahadev Mandir. It used to be under the reign of Sindhal Rathores. Sadri works as a gateway to Marwar from Mewar Top 5 Places To Visit In Ranakpur.
Major attractions here include the Ranakpur Jain Temple, Parshuram Mahadev Temple, Varahavatar Temple and Chintamani Parasnath Temple. Sadri has fourteen ancient Jain Temples which include Shri Parashuram Mahadev Temple, Shri Vokkal Mata Temple, Shri Mahakali Temple, etc. Other attractions include the Kumbhalgarh National Forest, Ghanerao Rawla, Narlai Rawla, etc.
