#india #ranakpur #rajasthan
Today we are going to explore a true architectural treasure located in India, the Jain Temple of Ranakpur, revealing some mysteries and amazing facts about the temple that will surely surprise you.
Date: February 17, 2023.
Location: Ranakpur, India.
GPS coordinates: 25°06'56.6"N 73°28'22.4"E
--------------- Video chapters:
0:00 Synthesis
0:47 Ranakpur Jain Temple
10:19 Masala Chai
-------------- Place visited on this tour:
Hidden away in the forests of the Aravalli hills lies a place of magnificence in the form of this 15th century Ranakpur Jain Temple. Located nearly 90 kilometers from the city of Udaipur in the Pali district, the Ranakpur Temple in Rajasthan is gracefully positioned on the banks of the Maghai River.
Featuring intricate designs resembling a beautiful piece of embroidered cloth, this temple stands as one of the most brilliant architectural monuments in the Indian subcontinent. Furthermore, Ranakpur Temple is also the largest and most significant place of worship for Jains.
According to a Sanskrit text called Soma-Saubhagya Kavya and a copper plate inscription discovered within the temple complex, this temple dates back to the early 15th century. An architectural marvel in its own right, the Ranakpur Temple came from Dhanna Shah, a Porwal of Ghanerao, under the patronage of Rana Kumbha, the then ruler of Mewar.
Legend has it that Dhanna Shah, a prosperous merchant and prominent minister in the court of Rana Kumbha, one night dreamed of a heavenly vehicle. The next morning he awoke with a burning determination to build a temple in the form of a vehicle to give expression to his vision. Without further ado, he shared his ambition with the king and begged for his help. Delighted with the concept, the king agreed to the request, but on the condition that the structure be named after the monarch.
It was around 1394 A.D. that the merchant began his search for someone who would help him to enact this vision in stone. He finally gathered courage and sought the help of an eccentric ascetic, Deepak, who after days of meditation, came up with a sketch as flawless and divine as if it had been drawn by the gods themselves.
After about 50 years of tremendous work by thousands of craftsmen and sculptors, the Ranakpur Temple came into being.
The temple's enormous structure, built entirely of softly colored marble, sits atop a base of underground vaults, spreading over an area of some 4,500 square meters. Upon entering the temple complex, it is hard not to be enchanted by the vividness and scale of its designs.
The moment one enters the Ranakpur Temple is the very moment one begins to discover its true splendor; shafts of light filter through corridors of carved pillars, emanating their warmth into the ornate cupola cupolas above.
The Ranakpur temple complex in Rajasthan comprises 1444 intricately carved pillars, 24 pillared halls accompanied by 80 domes supported by 400 columns. The apogee of all temple architecture is the fact that no two pillars are the same here!
The temple structure has five pinnacles, each of which houses a shrine underneath, and it is under the largest pinnacle on the axis of the main entrance (Chaumukha Shrine) that the nearly 2 meter tall statue of Lord Adinath can be located.
The temple is famous for its beautiful carved idol of Parshvanatha made from a single marble slab. The idol has 1008 snake heads and several tails. Two bearers of chauri and Yaksha and yakshi, half human and half snake, stand on either side. There are two elephants purifying Parshvanatha. Can't find the end of the tails.
The entire ceiling of this temple complex is adorned with geometric designs and arabesques. However, it is the sculptures of the nymphs and celestial maidens playing musical instruments, almost 14 meters high, that really catch the eye.
After stepping out into the open courtyard, you can admire the outer covering of the Ranakpur temple complex in all its glory. Every inch of the material, flowered with delicate, luxurious carvings and the high central ceiling that accommodates the deity, seems to probe the limits of human devotion.
The symmetry and design of the Ranakpur Jain Temple seems perfect, almost! If you look carefully, you'll find a slightly crooked pillar. One might wonder about this small imperfection in a perfect example of architectural design. However, the pillar in question was deliberately built slightly crooked, to show that not everything was going to be perfect.
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