Ranakpur Travel Guide

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Renowned for some marvellously carved Jain temples in amber stone, Ranakpur is one of the fine holy places of the Jain community. 96 km from Udaipur, these temples were created in the 15th century A.D. during the reign  of Rana Kumbha and are enclosed within a wall. The central'Chaumukha' or four faced temple is dedicated to the venerated Tirthankara Rishabhji. Open on all four sides, it enshrines the four faced 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 the Jain saints - Parsvanath 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 8th century A.D. temple dedicated to the Sun god. The temple has polygonal walls, richly embellised with carvings of warriors, horses and solar deities riding splendid chariots.

General Information :

Climate	Meam Max.	Mean. Min.
Summer	42.0' C	22.0' C
Winter	20.0' C	10.6' C
Rainfall	55 cms
Best Season	September - March
Clothing	Summer	light tropical
	Winter	woollen
Languages	English, Hindi, Rajasthani

How to get There :

Nagaur is well connected to all the major cities of Rajasthan by road and rail. The nearest airport is Jodhpur (135 kms.). 

HOW  TO  GET  THERE

Air : Nagaur can be reached from Jaipur (293 km), Jodhpur (135 km) and Udaipur (400 km) which are on the Indian Airlines route that links Delhi to Mumbai.

Rail : Most of Rajasthan is accessible by a network of rail services. An excellent connection to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, from Delhi is the Pink City Express (5 hour run) which is a vestibuled, chair-car rail service. Other places too are linked by passenger and express trains. Since rail journeys are usually long because of the distances involved, it is advisable to carry light snacks and water  bottles as most stations enroute do not serve much by way of food. Some important train connections are : Ranakpur Express (Bikaner - Nagaur - Ratangarh); 4893 Mail (Marwar - Nagaur - Merta Road Jn.).

Road : Rajasthan State Roadways coaches link most  tourist places and business centers in and around the state. Chauffeur-driven air-conditioned cars can be hired through the State Tourist offices and other approved operators.

Some important road distances from Nagaur are Agra 550 kms, Delhi 554 kms, Jodhpur 135 kms, Ajmer 162 kms, Nathdwara 362 kms, Jaisalmer 312 kms (via Phalodi, Pokaran) and Bharatpur 494 kms.

WHAT  TO  WEAR
Woollens during winter and cottons in summer months.

Prime Sites

Sadri (8 km) :  Famous for some beautiful temples and an old Dargah of Khudabakh Baba. The Varahavtar Temple and the Chintamani Parsvanath Jain Temple are the most ancient of the temples situated here

Desuri (16 km) : Three Jain temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman and Navi Mata are among some noteworthy temples at Desuri. An old mosque situated here is also worth a visit. A temple dedicated to Parsuram Mahadeo, nestled in the hills, is also close by. It is situated in the Kumbhalgarh tehsil of Rajsamand.

Ghanerao : Ghanerao abounds in Jain and Hindu temples. Most notable is the temple of Gajanand with a life-size statue of the goddess Ridhi and Sidhi. The statue is guarded by Hanuman and Bhairon on either side.

Muchhal Mahaveer : This Jain temple is situated about 5 km from Ghanerao in the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary. Its distinctive feature is the statue of Lord Mahavira with a moustache. The tow statues of elephants guarding the gateways are splendid examples of architecture. In the vicinity are the Garasia tribal costumes.

Narlai (6 km) : Lying at the base of a hillock, on the top of which is a colossal statue of an elephant, Narlai has many Hindu and Jain temples. The temple of Adinath is an ancient one. The outer 'mandap' of the temple has beautiful mural paintings on its ceiling which still retain their original splendour.

Faina (35 km) : The railhead for Ranakpur, Faina has some beautiful temples too.

Kumbhalgarh : The imposing fort - a principal bastion of Mewar after Chittaurgarh, has some interesting Jain temples.

Kumbhalgarh Wild Life Sanctuary : The 586 sq. km. sanctuary supports a rich variety of Wildlife - panther, sloth bear, wild boar, four horned antelope and scientifically bred crocodiles in the lake, are the major attractions.