Would you like to visit a place that has it all to suit every tourist’s likings: viz. a wildlife sanctuary, heritage hotels, ruined forts, handicrafts and some of the most magnificent temples of India.
Come to Ranakpur (a corrupt version of the original name Rana Kumbhapur) a tourist hamlet tucked away in a remote valley in the Aravali mountain range, situated around 60 km north of Udaipur in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan.
While our visit to the nearby Kumbalgarh forest reserve was unplanned, what I was really interested in was Ranakpur’s Chaumukha Jain Temple which some of my Jain friends had described in rather unbelievable terms. I was told that this was possibly one of the most stunning works of ancient Indian architecture ever (at times described to be better than the Taj) and I soon found out that they were not lay it on thick. I witnessed beauty, grace and supreme artistry at its best.
As I arrived at the temple complex what struck me from outside was the absolute non-commercial aspect of the place. Usually, one assumes that the area in the vicinity of a temple premise would be teeming with rows of flower shops, persistent beggars, shops selling temple paraphernalia, food stalls etc. But not so at this place. This was spanking clean area and immaculately maintained.
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Chaumukha Jain Temple (The Four Faced Temple)
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Nestled in the plains by the Aravalli hills, enveloped in the solitude of the surrounding forests this is a majestic monument of devotional architecture.
Sprawling over 48,000 sq. ft. the temple is an astounding creation in three levels, 29 halls each with elaborately carved beautiful domes and 1,444 pillars-all minutely carved and no two pillars are alike.
Masterfully sculpted musicians, dancers in varied postures, guards, animals, nymphs, gods, monsters, flowers, cover the pillars, the ceilings, the domes and the walls. These defy comparison.
Images of 24 tirthankars are carved on the mandaps along the corridors around the shrine with each mandap has its own shikhar. All this too has stunning work on stone.
These temples were created in the 1439 A.D. during the reign of Rana Kumbha and took 50 years to be constructed. It is estimated that about ninety nine lakh of rupees were spent on the construction of the temple.
In the assembly hall, there are two big bells weighing 108 kg whose sound echoes in the entire complex. I was lucky enough to participate in an arati being performed by some of the devotees, whence temple attendants were clanging those huge bells with the help oh five inch thick ropes. The low resonations of the bells accompanied by the soft nagaras playing in the background was enough to make anyone feel bliss.
Gentle breeze wafts through the Chaumukha temple whichever part of it you are in; the cool stone below your feet is spotlessly clean too. Awestruck, I languorously soaked in the beauty of this temple, walking up and down its various levels, seeing the Aravali forests from its balconies, participating in aratis, marveling at its architecture. And before I realized that I spent a good 3 hours in there, I couldn’t help but wonder why this unparalleled monument doesn’t feature highly in any tourism agenda.
The main Chaumukha temple is also surrounded by other temples, smaller in size dedicated to Parsvanath and Neminath, and an 8th century AD Sun temple. The last has polygonal walls, richly embellished with carvings of warriors, horses and with the Sun God riding seven horsed chariots.
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Kumbalgarh
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Kumbhalgarh is a historical site around 30 km from Ranakpur. Take a look at the ruined fort, which is,.... well.... a ruined fort. The other place worth a visit is the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected forest of over 450 acres known for its wolves mostly, and also langurs, panthers and crocodiles. An early morning jeep safari is recommended.
This sanctuary also encloses the Muchhal Mahavir temple which features is the statue of Lord Mahavira with a mustache and hence the name. The two statues of elephants guarding the gateways are splendid examples of temple decoration.
You could also take a walk into the rustic Garasia tribal village famous for colorful durries (rugs). You may also pick up a durrie or two from the Durries Udyog Stalls dotting the road to this sanctuary.
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Some other satellite places worth a quick visit are:
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Sadri ( 8 kms): Famous for an old dargah of Khudabaksh Baba, the ancient Varahavtar temple and the Chintamani Parsvanath temple.
Desuri (16 kms) Besides eating some mouthwatering mirchi wadas, succulent khammans at the dhabas near the bus stop, you can also see at Desuri a temple dedicated to Parsuram in the nearby hills.
Ghanerao: More jungles, more temples (with larger than life idols of Ridhi, Sidhi), but we decided to skip this place for lack of time. Serves me right for spending three hours at the Chaumukha temple.
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Should you want to stay the night, there are many places in Ranakpur that provide quality accommodation. Right from 5 star heritage resorts (1800 to 4500 INR depending on the room) to modest dharamsalas (very affordable) The Heritage hotels have their own charm and are good for the money spent. Try Maharani Bagh among these. The nearest railway station and airport to Ranakpur is Udaipur(3 hour drive).
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Here is a link that gives over 150 pictures of different sections, views of the Chaumukha Jain temple. But really, no photograph does this place justice. Please have a look and I'm sure you would want to see it in real
https://jainworld.org/pictures/temples/ranakpur.htm
