4 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
Two hours by bus from Udaipur
When to go
From November to May
Minimum stay
One day
Ranakpur (India)
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Nina Montagné
Practical information on Ranakpur
Reviews of Ranakpur
A major place of pilgrimage for the Jain community deep within Rajasthan.
My suggestion:
Ranakpur is a holy place, so be aware that you must cover your arms and legs to visit the temples here.
My review
The Ranakpur site lies lost in the Aravalli Mountain Range, some 50 kilometers from the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan, and is known across all India for its famous 15th century Jain temples.
It is one of the most important places in the whole country for the Jain community. There are numerous absolutely superb temples at the site, and these are worth spending an extended time visiting on your trip to India.
I remember standing in silent admiration inside the immense Adinatha Temple, the most famous of all Ranakpur's temples. The fineness of the thousands of carved pillars, each representing a single piece of marble lacework, is simply marvelous. Don't be reluctant to spend a few days there.
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Nina Montagné
Ranakpur is a tiny village, lost in the heart of the Indian countryside. And it's here that one of most magnificent temples in the country is found. The Adinath Temple is a Jain jewel. Out of this world!
My suggestion:
If there's enough room, sleep over at the temple alongside the worshippers. Staying here costs less than elsewhere on the site and sleeping next to its pilgrims is a truly unique experience.
My review
Taking the time to visit Ranakpur during your trip to India will be a once in a lifetime adventure. To be honest, I insist that you go there!
Imagine yourself in the middle of nowhere in France - the heart of La Creuse for example. Well, Ranakpur is even more remote. A road, a river, the Adinath Temple, a corner store and a hotel. So why bother coming here? Because the Adinath Temple is a marvel. The most beautiful of the Jain temples that you'll see in India. 1,500 m2 in surface, 33 meters high and made from marble. It's a creative wonder, with 1,444 pillars that are finely and minutely carved. A jewel in the jungle. A your challenge for the day? Find the only pillar amongst all 1,444 that isn't straight. A pointless task...if the architect had made one, tiny error it would only have been to show that 'God is perfect, man is not';
This site is a little off the usual tourist trail, but really worth the effort. I have no regrets at all about taking the time to see it.
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David Debrincat
344 travelers' photos
