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Ranakpur Tirth
Introduction
History
Architecture
Tourist Attraction
Transportation
Introduction
Ranakpur Jain temple is a renowned Jain temple at Ranakpur is dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha.
Dharna Shah, a local Jain businessperson, started construction of the temple in the 15th century following a divine vision. The temple honors Adinath, the first Tirthankar of the present half-cycle (avasarpiṇī) according to Jain cosmology. The town of Ranakpur and the temple are named after the provincial ruler monarch, Rana Kumbha who supported the construction of the temple. The Ranakpur temple is one of the largest and most important temples of Jain culture. The temple is located in a village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan. The campus includes various temples such as Chaumukha temple, Surya temple, Parsavanth temple and Amba temple.
History
The construction is well documented in a 1437 CE copper-plate record, inscriptions in the temple and a Sanskrit text Soma-Saubhagya Kavya. Inspired by a dream of a celestial vehicle, Dhanna Shah, a Porwal from Ghanerao, commenced its construction, under the patronage of Rana Kumbha, then ruler of Mewar. The architect who oversaw the project was named Deepaka. There is an inscription on a pillar near the main shrine stating that in 1439 Deepaka, an architect, constructed the temple at the direction of Dharanka, a devoted Jain. When the ground floor was completed, Acharya Soma Sundar Suri of Tapa Gachha supervised the ceremonies, which are described in Soma-Saubhagya Kavya. The construction continued until 1458 CE.
The temple was renovated time to time. Some famililies supported the construction of devakulikas and mandaps. The descendants of Dharna Shah now mainly live in Ghanerao. The temple has been managed by the Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi trust in the past century.
Architecture
Light colored marble has been used for the construction of this grand temple The temple has 29 halls, 80 domes and the pavilions include 1444 pillars, each of them so intricately and artistically carved that they’ll leave a lasting impression on you. The figures of dancing goddesses, beautifully engraved on these pillars are an absolute architectural wonder.The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same.
Above all, you would be amazed to see at a height of 45 feet engraved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures.
The temple, with its distinctive domes, shikhara, turrets and cupolas rises majestically from the slope of a hill.which occupies an area of approximately 60 x 62 meters.
It is also said that it is impossible to count the pillars. Also all the statues face one or the other statue.
There is one beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock where there 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails.
One cannot find the end of the tails. The most remarkable thing of the temple is the wonderful play of light and shade on the nearly 1,444 pillars.
The temples are architectural marvels and it is believed that pillar is different from the others in design. As the sun rays shift through the day the pillars colour change from gold to pale blue In the mandap (prayer hall).
The two big bells of 108 kg each produce a harmonious sound on the movement.
The construction of the main shrine alone took more than 50 years.
Tourist Attraction
The temple is a masterpiece of architecture and boasts of not less than four additional shrines.
It has 24 pillared halls with 80 domes that are supported by 400 columns.
The upper and lower parts of the domes are linked by brackets that have deities’ sculptures.
Each column is intricately carved and it is surprising to know that no two columns have the similar design.
The temple has 29 halls, 80 domes and the pavilions include 1444 pillars, each of them so intricately and artistically carved that they’ll leave a lasting impression on you. The figures of dancing goddesses, beautifully engraved on these pillars are an absolute architectural wonder.
The best feature about these pillars is that no two pillars are alike in design and sculptures.
Transportation
By air:
Near by Airport – Maharana Pratap Airport, Udaipur.
Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.
Udaipur to Ranakpur Jain Temple Distance is 93kms (1hrs 51min)
By rail:
There is not direct train available for ranakpur, You can reach here choosing nearest station.
Nearest station is Falna (Pali).
Distance to Falna from:-
Jodhpur – 170 kms
Jaipur – 341 kms
By Road Falna to Ranakpur Temple is 34kms(36mins).
By road:
Road Distance from
Udaipur City to Ranakpur Temple is 93kms ( 2hrs )
Jodhpur City to Ranakpur Temple is 156kms ( 3hrs )
Jaipur to Ranakpur Temple is 357kms ( 5hrs )
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