Situated on the banks of the river Maghai Ranakpur is revered as one of the five holiest places of Jain pilgrimage and worship. However, from half a kilometre away, the horizon gives no indication of the immeasurably beautiful architectural riches that lie beyond the dense glades of gnarled, old trees. The four-temple complex is unique for its distance from any town or village. There is a conspicuous absence of congested bazaars, badgering guides, and beggars whining for money. However, the temples possess a distinct character of peace, a soul-satisfying serenity, and the delicate beauty of the marble temples has a palpable hushed ecstasy of sacred celebration.

From distant corners of the world, people flock to worship and wonder at the dazzling white marble miracle of the Ranakpur temples. The sense of seclusion and pacific ambience of the place is in quiet, gentle harmony with the ascetic ideology of Jainism. A humble, inconspicuous inscription on a wall in the main temple tells us that Dharnaka, a rich and reputed Jain merchant, built it. Legend has it that he drew inspiration from a dream featuring a heavenly vehicle mentioned in Jain scriptures. Deeply moved by this

prophetic dream, he knew with an intuitive certainty that he had found his mission in life. Dharnaka decided to build a similar structure, in the form of a temple. He requested land from Rana Kumbha the ruler of Mewar, on which to translate his dream into a temple of unparalleled beauty. In 1394, Rana Kumbha donated a large tract of land in the foothills of the Aravalli range for the proposed new temple. Construction began under Depaka, a famous but reclusive architect. The creation of Dharnaka’s marble marvel took all of 50 years. On completion, it was dedicated to the deeply venerated Lord Adinath, the first of the twenty-four Jain tirthankaras, or enlightened sages.

The conceptual magnitude and aesthetic grace of the Adinath temples has transformed it into an epiphany in marble. The rectangular edifice is open on all sides and soars three storeys into the sky. Enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum is the Chaumukha or four-faced image of the first tirthankara. The mandir sprawls over 48,000 sq ft with its twenty-nine halls, eighty-six chapels, five spires, and twenty domes. It is widely believed that these are supported on one thousand four hundred and forty-four magnificent pillars, each carved distinctly different from the others. It is also claimed that there are nine cellars under the main temple for the safe storage of the mandir’s sacred images, in case of any emergency. The ingenuity of the architect’s designs is evident from the positioning of these forty-feet high pillars; from any of the four corners of the temple, the visitor’s view of the central, fourfaced image of Lord Adinath remains unobstructed.

Curiously, one of these pillarsbears an inscription relating how a Jain monk persuaded the Moghul Emperor Akbar to ban any hunting, sale or consumption of meat on days of special religious significance for the Jains. The images of the twenty-four tirthankaras are sculpted on the porticoes around the shrine with each mandap possessing a spire adorned with little bells on the top. With every gust of passing breeze, the temple corridors echo the tinkle of the bells, creating an illusion of distant, ethereal music. The exquisite, fragile carvings of the temple of Lord Adinath give the impression of a remarkably delicate, lace-like effect.

A carving on the walls
of the Surya Temple

The calm around the Adinath
temple complex relaxes the mind

There are three other, smaller temples. Two of these are dedicated to the Jain saints, Parasvanath and Neminath. Both face the main temple. Their exquisite, rich friezes of erotic carvings are reminiscent of the sculptured walls of Khajuraho. The fourth, the Surya Mandir, is dedicated to the sun god. Its polygonal walls are ornately embellished with opulent carvings of warriors mounted on horses, and solar deities riding splendorous chariots.

Scarcely three centuries after the mandir’s consecration, the ravages of war devastated the region’s peace and prosperity. Inevitably, as the region became the stamping ground of bandits and anti-socials, the temple’s ambience of peaceful adoration and fervent prayer declined progressively. The eroding hand of time and nature along with the mindless destruction by foreign invaders did much to desecrate and damage this holy shrine. For a long time it wore a desolate look. Deserted by its

devotees, the temple gradually fell into ruin. However, during the last 75 years, Ranakpur has been rescued from its state of extreme neglect and desolation, and extensive restoration has woven its own spell of enchanted healing and recovery. Nevertheless, it is during the last two decades that the temples of Ranakpur have reclaimed their ancient architectural and spiritual glory. The gods enshrined within the temple, smile once again on the long lines of devotees flocking into their hallowed halls. Dharnaka’s personal vision, which had temporarily dimmed, has come full circle and regained its former radiance.

Half a millennium after the temple’s inception,the devotees of Lord Mahavira continue streaming in from distant climes, to Dharnaka’s dream in stone. Some are here to express humble gratitude for prayers that found answers. However, most have come in quest of solace for tired, disenchanted souls, and hope for the morrows yet to come.