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Ranakpur Temples are located in the
town of Rakanpur, nestled in the Aravalli ranges, about 50
kilometers away from Udaipur. The town is small, but the
Jain temples here are a major attraction for pilgrims as
well as tourists. The temples were built by a Jain
merchant, Dharna Shah, on land donated by Rana Kumbha in
the fifteenth century.
The largest of these temples has an area of more than
50,000 square feet. The temple has a unique appearance,
since it was carved in the shape of a vimana, or aircraft,
mentioned frequently in mythology. This temple has four "mandaps",
and 24 large halls with domed ceilings. The halls have
pillars of stone on which figurines of demigoddesses are
carved. The largest hall has two huge bells, whose sound
echo all over the temple complex on ringing.
The sanctum
sanctorum holds a statue of Adinath, to whom the temple is
dedicated. The statue depicts Adinath with four faces,
each facing a different direction. It is an artistic
representation of the omnipresent Adinath, who is present
in every direction. |
