- Deity
- Adinath (Rishabhadeva)
- Pillars
- 1,444
- Timings
- 6 am to 7 pm
- Best time
- October to March
- Distance from Udaipur
- About 80 km
- Dress code
- Shoulders, arms and legs covered
History
The temple was commissioned by Dharna Shah, a wealthy Jain trader and minister at the court of Rana Kumbha of Mewar. Work continued for around fifty years, with generations of craftsmen shaping the marble. It rises in three storeys on a raised platform in the hills.
Architecture
The name Chaturmukha means four-faced. Doors on each side lead to the central sanctum, where four images of Adinath face the four directions, and the arrangement is repeated on the upper levels.
The temple is famous for its 1,444 marble pillars, each carved differently, and it is said that no two are alike. Around them are dozens of small domed shrines, several assembly halls and many subsidiary shrines. Light moves across the pale stone through the day, so the carvings look different in the morning and afternoon.
Festivals
Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Mahavira, is the major festival, marked by special prayers and processions. Paryushana is also observed. In December the two-day Ranakpur Festival brings folk dance, classical music and Deepotsav, when the temple and its surroundings are lit with lamps.
Timings, dress and how to reach
The complex welcomes visitors every day, 6 am–7 pm, and visitors of all faiths are welcome, though non-Jain visitors usually have set hours for the main temple. The dress code is strict: shoulders, arms and legs must be covered, and leather items are not allowed inside.
October to March brings the most comfortable weather. By road, Ranakpur lies about 80 km from Udaipur by road, and most travellers come by car. We can plan it as a day trip from Udaipur or combine it with Kumbhalgarh.
Also nearby
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