2/1/09…
Upon searching out my transition from Udaipur onward, I learned of what was described as being the best illustration of Jain architecture in Rajasthan, and possibly the most intricate in all of India, just 90 kilometers away in Ranakpur. With just a small blurb in Lonely Planet, I new this possibility might allow me a chance to escape the tourist cloud and give me an intimate, more personal discovery. My intuition was right on!
Jainism was created around the 6th century BC as a separate, but similar, branch of Hinduism. What I found most appealing in the little I’ve learned, is that the reason for their deliberate distinction was their protest of the vicious caste system that I feel mars an otherwise respectable religion in Hinduism. For the record, not all Hindus believe in the caste system and the belief is said to be waning, but with all due respect, I feel it wrong. At any rate, the Jains have been masterful architects for thousands of years with a magnificent attention to detail, in which Ranakpur exemplifies their devotion to their gods and spirituality!
Ranakpur is the collection of a handful of temples, the most inspiring and largest of which, is called Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple). It’s said to have an amazing 1444 pillars, with no two alike, and with one of them leaning. Someone there pointed out that this crooked blemish is to reminds us that we as humans are not perfect, 
only God is perfect. What a great symbol! However, imperfect we humans are, it’s hard to find any evidence within the Ranakpur temples (except the leaner).
Chaumukha Mandir, chiseled exclusively from the whitest of marble by hand, was completed in 1439. Open to the sky at various areas, and roofed at others, the inside perimeter is lined with enclosures of idols and there’s a beautiful tree in one wing. It’s hard to describe the environment, or even capture it by photograph. The rays of sunlight reflecting off the marble, the acoustics, the spacing of the pillars and of course, the mind-boggling carvings throughout bring a sense of complete harmony. Not sure how frequently it happened, but I was
lucky enough to witness some sort of religious ceremony there, where the participants were clad in colorful traditional garb and, I believe, making offerings in the various chambers.
Ranakpur is set amongst some interesting craggy desert habitat and caught wind of some trails
across the road from the temples that wound up into the small rugged mountains. I was, again, hike-deprived, so I got up early the next morning and set to the trails before my bus to Jodhpur later in the afternoon. I forget sometimes how itchy and scratchy (for lack of better terms) the desert is and made the mistake of wearing shorts. So, when I went off trail to reach the top of a nearby ridge, my legs, not surprisingly, got nicely pricked up. But it was a nice hike and I got great views of the temples from up high and the desert beyond. And guess what else I saw up at the top….more monkeys! They’re slowly losing their charm…slowly!
After Ranakpur is the blue city and home to the mighty Rajputs,
Jodhpur. A blog on it and the massive Meherangarh fort upcoming!
Upon searching out my transition from Udaipur onward, I learned of what was described as being the best illustration of Jain architecture in Rajasthan, and possibly the most intricate in all of India, just 90 kilometers away in Ranakpur. With just a small blurb in Lonely Planet, I new this possibility might allow me a chance to escape the tourist cloud and give me an intimate, more personal discovery. My intuition was right on!
Jainism was created around the 6th century BC as a separate, but similar, branch of Hinduism. What I found most appealing in the little I’ve learned, is that the reason for their deliberate distinction was their protest of the vicious caste system that I feel mars an otherwise respectable religion in Hinduism. For the record, not all Hindus believe in the caste system and the belief is said to be waning, but with all due respect, I feel it wrong. At any rate, the Jains have been masterful architects for thousands of years with a magnificent attention to detail, in which Ranakpur exemplifies their devotion to their gods and spirituality!
Ranakpur is the collection of a handful of temples, the most inspiring and largest of which, is called Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple). It’s said to have an amazing 1444 pillars, with no two alike, and with one of them leaning. Someone there pointed out that this crooked blemish is to reminds us that we as humans are not perfect, 
only God is perfect. What a great symbol! However, imperfect we humans are, it’s hard to find any evidence within the Ranakpur temples (except the leaner).Chaumukha Mandir, chiseled exclusively from the whitest of marble by hand, was completed in 1439. Open to the sky at various areas, and roofed at others, the inside perimeter is lined with enclosures of idols and there’s a beautiful tree in one wing. It’s hard to describe the environment, or even capture it by photograph. The rays of sunlight reflecting off the marble, the acoustics, the spacing of the pillars and of course, the mind-boggling carvings throughout bring a sense of complete harmony. Not sure how frequently it happened, but I was
lucky enough to witness some sort of religious ceremony there, where the participants were clad in colorful traditional garb and, I believe, making offerings in the various chambers.Ranakpur is set amongst some interesting craggy desert habitat and caught wind of some trails
across the road from the temples that wound up into the small rugged mountains. I was, again, hike-deprived, so I got up early the next morning and set to the trails before my bus to Jodhpur later in the afternoon. I forget sometimes how itchy and scratchy (for lack of better terms) the desert is and made the mistake of wearing shorts. So, when I went off trail to reach the top of a nearby ridge, my legs, not surprisingly, got nicely pricked up. But it was a nice hike and I got great views of the temples from up high and the desert beyond. And guess what else I saw up at the top….more monkeys! They’re slowly losing their charm…slowly!After Ranakpur is the blue city and home to the mighty Rajputs,
Jodhpur. A blog on it and the massive Meherangarh fort upcoming! 
1 comment:
That´s cool!
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