Description:
Ranakpur has an exceptionally beautiful temple complex in the Aravali ranges. Around eight kms away is Sadri, which also has temples and an old dargah of Khudabaksh baba. The Varaha-avatar temple and the Chintamani temples are supposed to be the oldest ones.The Jain temples were built during the reign of the liberal and gifted Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty four pillared halls and domes, supported by over four hundred coloumns. The total number of coloumns is 1,444 and all of them are intricately cared with none of them being alike. There nymphs playing flutes and various dance postures on these 45 feet high coloumns. The assembly hall has two big bells weighing nearly 108 kilograms, their sound echoes in the entire complex. The main temple is the Chaumukh or the four faced temple dedicated to Adinath.The artistic sculptures lie like scattered jewels. The myriad ornate 'torans' or festoons with minute and delicate carvings are a delight to see. There are innumerable elegant and lofty pillars and a large number of shikhars or spires which make a unique pattern in the face of the sky. The temple has four artistic entrances. In the main chamber of the temple are four huge white marble idols of the Jain Tirthankar or revealer of truth Shri Adinath. These 72 inches tall idols face four directions. Because of these images facing four directions, the temple acquired the name of Chaturmukh temple. On the second and third floor too, there are identical Jain images.
