Ranakpur

Renowned for some marvelous carve temples in Amber stone, Ranakpur is one of the five holy places of the community 96 km from Udaipur ,these temples were created in the 15^th century A..D. during the reign of Rana Kumbha and are enclosed with a wall. The central ‘Chaumukh’ or four faced temple is dedicated to the venerated the Tirthankara Rishabhji. Open on all four sides, it enshrines the four faces image of Adinath. Sprawling over 48,000 sq. feet, the temple is an astounding creation with 29 halls and 1,444 pillars-all distinctly carved.

Images of 24 tirthankaras are carved on the ‘mandaps’ or porticoes in a corridor around the shrine with each mandap having a ‘shikhar’ or spire adorned with little bells on the top. The gentle breeze wafting through the corridors, move the bells creating celestial music all around the complex. Rising in three storeys, the temple has four small shrines with 80 spires supported by 420 columns.

Two temples, dedicated to saints- Parasvanath and Neminath,face the main temple. The temples have beautiful carvings similar to that of Khajuraho. Another temple worth visiting is the nearby Sun Temple, an 8^th century A.D. temple dedicated to the Sun god. The temple has polygonal walls richly embellished with carvings of warriors, horses and solar deities riding splendid chariots.