Ranakpur Jain Temple
Spread over an area of 4,500 square yards and consisting of 29 halls, the Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the most important of the five major pilgrimage centers of Jainism. Also known as Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara, the temple dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha is located in the Pali district of Rajasthan.
The Ranakpur Temple is distinguished all across the globe for its brilliant architecture and was voted amongst the top 77 wonders of the world.
The temple honours Adinath, who was the first Tirthankar of the present half-cycle or 'Avasarpi' according to Jain cosmology. Built during the reign of the Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, the temple complex consists of a total of four shrines. The construction of the temple was undertaken by Dhanna Shah, a local Jain businessman who saw a divine vision. The architectural style and stone carvings of the Ranakpur Temple are based on the ancient Mirpur Jain Temple that is located at Mirpur in Rajasthan.
The temple is designed as a 'Chaumukha', which means that it has four faces. This beautiful and marvelous structure carved in stone is well known all across India for its fantastic architecture style. The unique thing about the temple is its colour-changing columns. They go from golden to pale blue after every hour that passes during the day.
Moreover, each of these columns has been carved intricately without repeating any designs. Hence, no two columns in the temple have similar designs. The two large bells in the prayer hall give a harmonious sound upon their movement and are like a cheerful song to the ears of the devotees.
History of Ranakpur Jain Temple
The building activities of the Jain community have always been patronised by the Mewar Dynasty. Dhanna Shah, who was a Porwal from Ghanerao, dreamed about a celestial vehicle and wanted to construct this temple. He at once approached Rana Kumbha to request him to provide him with some part of the land so that he could begin the construction.
Rana Kumbha agreed, but on the condition that the constructed temple should bear his name; and therefore, the temple site on the banks of River Maghai came to be known as Ranakpur.
Architecture of Ranakpur Jain Temple
The vast temple complex of the Ranakpur Temple comprises of the Chaumukha Temple, the Parsavanath Temple, the Amba Mata Temple and the Surya Temple. The Chaumukha Temple is the most prominent amongst all of these temples. This main temple, Chaumukha, is four-faced which is dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Adinath.
Built in the form of a heavenly aircraft, it has 29 halls and 80 domes with 1,444 pillars of intricately carved figures of dancing goddesses. The striking temple has four entrances on four different sides which lead to the central chamber and sanctum containing a four-faced marble statue of Lord Adinath.
The style of construction of the temple and the quadrupled image symbolize the Tirthankara's conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence stand as a symbol of the cosmos. The architecture and stone carvings are based on the ancient Mirpur Jain Temple that is located at Mirpur in Rajasthan.
With a basement of 48,000 square feet, the temple complex of the Ranakpur Temple includes a total of four shrines with pillared halls and domes that are supported by 1,444 intricately carved columns. No two columns in the temple have a similar design. The ceilings are finely carved with fine scrollwork and geometric patterns. The brackets connecting the top of the domes to the floor are filled with figures of deities, while the dome is in concentric bands.
The temple's foundation is made of three levels so that the several pavilions can be accommodated on the base itself. Beautiful turrets rise from the walls, where each of them relates to a cell on the inner façade of the wall. The roof is formed of five spires and 20 cupolas.
The prayer hall of the temple, also known as the mandapa, boasts of two huge bells that weigh 108 kilograms each. The Temple of Parsavanath is another temple that is worth visiting. Built in the middle of the 15th century, it is famous for its engraved windows that are embellished with Jain figures and is also known as Patriyon Ka Mandir.
