A temple in a fold of the hills
Not really a town: a temple complex in a quiet valley on the western side of the Aravallis, with forest, mango trees and a few villages around it.
Godwar: the old borderland between Mewar and Marwar, a region of hills, rivers and wealthy Jain merchant towns.
The name: Ranakpur comes from Rana Kumbha, the fifteenth-century ruler of Mewar who granted the land and supported the temple's construction.
- Region
- Godwar, western Aravallis
- Nearest town
- Sadri, a short drive
- Named after
- Rana Kumbha of Mewar
- Pilgrims for
- More than 500 years
- Allow
- A few hours, ideally a night
- Five centuries of pilgrims: they still come, in buses from Gujarat and Mumbai and on foot from nearby villages.
- For most of our guests: a stop between Udaipur and Jodhpur, and often the one they remember longest.
- Worth a night: easy to see in a few hours, but it rewards staying nearby, so you can return in the softer light of late afternoon.
- A working temple: not a museum. Jain monks and nuns stay in the guest houses around it and families come to pray.
- The sound of it: always bells and soft chanting somewhere behind the pillars.
- On its terms: visitors are welcome, on the temple's terms, and those terms are part of what makes it so peaceful.
A merchant's dream and a king's gift
In the fifteenth century, Dharna Shah, a Jain merchant and minister at the court of Rana Kumbha, is said to have dreamed of a celestial vehicle, a vimana from the heavens, and resolved to build a temple in its image. He asked the king for land, and Kumbha gave him this valley.
The record: an inscription of 1439 on one of the pillars names Dharna Shah as patron and the architect, usually given as Depaka or Depa.
Decades of work: many master craftsmen worked on the temple, and parts were completed long after its founders had died.
- Patron
- Dharna Shah, Jain minister
- Inscription
- 1439, on a pillar
- Architect
- Depaka, or Depa
- Dedicated to
- Adinath, first tirthankara
- Tradition
- Shvetambara Jain
- Adinath: also called Rishabhanatha, the first of the twenty-four tirthankaras, the great teachers of the Jain faith.
- The formal name: Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara joins the founder's name to the plan of the building.
- Chaturmukha, four-faced: at the heart of the temple four images of Adinath sit back to back, each facing a direction, and great gateways open to all four.
- The meaning: the teaching of the tirthankara reaches every direction of the world equally.
- Shvetambara: the branch of Jainism whose monks and nuns wear white.
- Merchant patrons: Jain merchants were among the great art patrons of western India, and in the Aravallis they built some of the finest marble temples ever made.
- Next stop: if you love Ranakpur, add the Dilwara temples at Mount Abu. They are older, smaller and even more intricately carved.
Reading the Chaumukha temple
- Pillars
- 1,444 by tradition
- Entrances
- Four, one per direction
- Serpent heads
- 1,008, Parshvanath relief
- Best light
- Early morning and near closing
The plan, a mandala in stone
Raised up: the temple stands on a high plinth, with a broad stair to each of its four entrances.
- Near-perfect symmetry: halls and courtyards surround the central shrine, so whichever door you use, you arrive at a face of Adinath.
- Small shrines: rows of them run around the edges, each with its own little spire.
- From outside: the many spires and domes rise towards the centre like a hill.
The 1,444 pillars
No two alike: by tradition the temple stands on 1,444 marble pillars, each carved differently. Many guests set out to check and give up after twenty.
- What's on them: dancers and musicians on some, flowers and geometric bands on others.
- Clever placing: from almost every point you can see one of the images of Adinath through the forest of columns.
- Walk slowly: stop often. The views keep changing.
The domes and ceilings
Look up: domes carved in rings of figures and petals narrow towards a great pendant at the centre, like a stone chandelier.
- Dancers: some ceilings show celestial dancers in a circle, holding hands.
- Kalpavriksha: others carry scrolls of the wish-fulfilling tree of Indian myth.
- Bring a torch: or ask your guide to point out the best ones, because the most delicate carving sits in deep shadow.
The Parshvanath relief
The subject: Parshvanath, the twenty-third tirthankara, sheltered by a canopy of serpent hoods twisting into an endless knot.
- The legend: the snakes have 1,008 heads, all carved from a single slab of marble, and the tail of each can be traced through the knot.
- Our verdict: one of the finest pieces of carving in Rajasthan.
The light, through the day
Morning: the pale marble is cool and almost grey.
- Midday: it glows white, and light pours down from open courtyards between the halls.
- Late afternoon: the stone turns gold and honey.
- See it twice: once early and once near closing, and you'll feel you have seen two different buildings.
The bells and the people
Bells: large brass bells hang near the entrances and ring as worshippers arrive.
- Pilgrims: in white or silk, mouths sometimes covered with a cloth to avoid harming tiny living beings, carrying rice, flowers and sandalwood paste to the shrine.
- Your part: watch quietly, keep to the edges of the halls and let them pass first.
The smaller temples and the Sun temple
The Neminath and Parshvanath temples
Two more Jain temples: within the complex, one to Neminath, the twenty-second tirthankara, and one to Parshvanath.
- Intimate: quieter than the main temple, with richly carved outer walls.
- Pause here: sit for ten minutes and let the great temple settle in your mind.
The Sun temple
Older than the great temple: a Hindu temple to Surya by the road, generally dated to the thirteenth century.
- The carving: bands of warriors, horses and chariots, with Surya riding his chariot drawn by seven horses.
- What it tells you: the valley was sacred to more than one faith, and the Rajput kings who ruled it worshipped the sun as an ancestor.
A short introduction to the Jain faith
One of India's oldest religions: its central idea is ahimsa, non-violence towards every living being.
The soul: every creature has one, and it can be freed from rebirth through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
The ford-makers: the twenty-four tirthankaras crossed over and showed the way.
- Core idea
- Ahimsa, non-violence
- Tirthankaras
- 24 ford-makers
- Last tirthankara
- Mahavira, 6th or 5th century BCE
- Diet
- Vegetarian, often no root vegetables
- Mahavira and Adinath: the last, Mahavira, lived in the sixth or fifth century BCE. The first, Adinath, belongs to a much more distant age of legend.
- At the table: strict Jains are vegetarian, and many avoid onions, garlic and potatoes, because pulling them up kills the plant and small creatures in the soil.
- Before sunset: many do not eat after dark.
- Monks and nuns: walk barefoot, own almost nothing and travel on foot, often staying at temples like this one.
- Merchant wealth: prosperous Jain merchant communities built many of western India's finest temples. Building one was an act of merit.
- Carved for the tirthankara: that is why Ranakpur is carved with care in places no visitor will ever see. The craftsmen were not working for an audience.
- Beyond Ranakpur: our page on temples and pilgrim towns introduces Rajasthan's other great sacred sites.
How to visit with respect
Visiting hours: the early part of the day is for worship, and non-Jain visitors are admitted later. Hours can change at festival times, so we check on the day and plan the drive around them.
Coming to worship: if you are a Jain, tell us in advance and we'll arrange your visit for the morning prayers.
Cover up: shoulders and knees. Shawls and wraps can usually be borrowed at the entrance.
- Mornings
- Kept for worship
- Non-Jain visitors
- Later in the day
- Hours
- Can change, checked on the day
- No entry for
- Leather, food, drink
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered
- No leather: shoes, belts, wallets, handbags and watch straps. There are lockers and a shoe stand at the gate.
- No food: no food, drink or chewing gum in the temple.
- Photography: rules are set by the temple and may need a separate ticket. Photographing the images of the tirthankaras is not allowed.
- Quiet: speak softly, don't touch the images and keep to the sides of the halls when worshippers are at the shrines.
- Menstruation: the temple posts entry rules for women, as many traditional Indian temples do. We ask guests to respect them.
- Guide or audio: an audio guide usually comes with the ticket, but a good private guide adds the stories the audio cannot.
More on temple etiquette
- Across Rajasthan: our guide to temple etiquette covers Hindu, Jain and Sikh temples.
- Packing: our journal piece on what to wear in temples has simple advice for men and women.
The drive from Udaipur to Jodhpur, via Ranakpur
Over, not around: the direct road runs around the Aravallis on the highway. The Ranakpur road goes over them, through forest, villages and passes.
- Total drive
- About seven hours with stops
- Route
- Over the Aravallis, not around
- At Ranakpur
- Two unhurried hours
- Arrive Jodhpur
- For evening light at Mehrangarh
- A transfer becomes a highlight: it turns a long drive into one of the best days of the journey.
- Timing: about seven hours with stops, so we leave Udaipur early and arrive for the evening light at Mehrangarh.
- The full route: our journal piece on Udaipur to Jodhpur via Ranakpur.
Udaipur to the hills
Early start: leave after breakfast and drive north into the Aravallis.
- Via Kumbhalgarh: some guests detour via Kumbhalgarh, which adds a few hours and is best done as an overnight.
- The hill road: others go direct, through farming villages where maize and wheat grow on terraced fields and women carry water and fodder along the verges.
Ranakpur in the middle of the day
Arrive at opening: reach the temple as it opens to visitors and spend two unhurried hours with a guide.
- Then: the Sun temple.
- Lunch: at a hotel near the temple, under the trees, before the second half of the drive.
Through Godwar
Into Marwar
- The land changes: fields give way to scrub, the soil turns sandy and the turbans change colour. You are in Marwar now.
- A soft stop: some guests break the journey at Rohet Garh, a heritage house with a lake and horses in a village south of Jodhpur.
Where to stay near Ranakpur
Beside the temple
In the valley: a small number of hotels sit within a few minutes of the temple.
- Fateh Bagh: an HRH Group heritage property rebuilt here stone by stone from an older building, with period furniture and orchards.
- Mana Hotel: next door, with a calm, modern design of clean lines and wood.
- Why stay here: both make an easy base for a late afternoon visit and an early start.
Rawla Narlai
Our favourite in the area: a former royal hunting lodge in the village of Narlai, with courtyards and rooftop terraces.
- The setting: a granite hill behind it, topped by a white elephant.
- Dinner: served by a lamplit stepwell outside the village.
SUJAN JAWAI
- Leopard country: a luxury tented camp among the granite hills of Jawai, where leopards live near Rabari villages.
- The pairing: a night here with Ranakpur is one of the most memorable combinations in Rajasthan.
Rohet Garh, on the way to Jodhpur
- Family-run heritage: a house in Marwar known for its gardens, its lake and its Marwari horses.
- Why stop: a soft landing before the city.
Eating near a Jain temple
The bhojanshala: the temple's own dining hall, where pilgrims eat simple vegetarian meals served in the Jain way.
Hotel thalis: generous Rajasthani plates of dal, seasonal vegetables, kadhi of yoghurt and gram flour, bajra or wheat rotis with ghee, and jaggery sweets.
- In winter: look for makki ki roti, the maize bread of the Aravalli villages.
- Asking for Jain food: tell your hotel and chauffeur in advance. Most kitchens in Godwar know exactly what it means.
- What Jain food means: no meat or eggs, no root vegetables, and often an early dinner before sunset.
- Better than expected: Jain cooks build flavour with spices, tomatoes, raw mango, dried berries and lentils, and it can be some of the best vegetarian food in India.
- The whole table: our Rajasthani food guide explains the regional cooking.
When to visit Ranakpur
October to March: warm days, cool nights, a forest still green from the rains and a lovely drive over the Aravallis.
Busy but spacious: the busiest season, but the temple absorbs the crowds, especially later in the afternoon.
- Best season
- October to March
- Hot months
- April to June
- Monsoon
- July to September, greenest
- Mahavir Jayanti
- March or April
- Paryushan
- August or September
- April to June: hot, so we plan visits at the coolest hours.
- The monsoon: green hills, rushing streams and low clouds over the spires. The valley is at its most beautiful.
- Mahavir Jayanti: the birth anniversary of Mahavira, in March or April, brings large crowds of pilgrims.
- Paryushan: the most important period of fasting and reflection in the Jain year, in August or September.
- Diwali: in October or November, sacred to Jains as the night of Mahavira's liberation.
- Festival visits: moving times to come if you don't mind company, and we can help you understand what you are seeing.
A night in the valley, hour by hour
Late afternoon, the first visit
Arrive after lunch: from Kumbhalgarh or Udaipur, and check in near the temple.
- Walk across late: the light turns the marble gold, and many of the day's coaches have left.
- No guidebook: spend the first visit simply walking, and let the scale of the building sink in.
- Sunset: finish at the Sun temple as the sun drops behind the hills, which feels exactly right.
Evening in the valley
Very quiet: peafowl calling from the trees, temple bells in the distance, the occasional jeep on the forest road.
- Dinner: a simple vegetarian meal under the stars, then bed early.
- Nothing else to do: and that is the point.
The next morning, with a guide
Forest walk: after breakfast, with a naturalist, looking for langurs, parakeets and, with great luck, the tracks of a leopard.
- Back to the temple: with a guide as visiting hours begin.
- What you missed: the snakes of Parshvanath, the dancers in the domes and the pillar carvings closest to the central shrine.
- Leave by late morning: for Jodhpur or Narlai.
Who will love Ranakpur, and who might not
Travellers who have had their fill of forts and palaces often tell us Ranakpur was the turning point of their journey, the moment Rajasthan stopped being a list of monuments and became something quieter and deeper.
You'll love it if: you are moved by architecture, by craft or by sacred places.
- Photographers: those who don't mind working within the rules find the light extraordinary.
- Families: older children usually enjoy hunting for different pillars and the hidden carvings in the ceilings.
- It may disappoint if: you want dramatic history of battles and sieges. There are no ramparts, no royal apartments and no great views from the top.
- A place of rules: no leather, covered limbs, quiet voices and hours set by the temple, not your itinerary.
- If that feels like a burden: a short visit between Kumbhalgarh and Jodhpur is enough.
- If it feels like a relief: stay the night.
- Go deeper: our Sacred Rajasthan journey links Ranakpur with Nathdwara, Pushkar and Ajmer.
What we tell guests before Ranakpur
Leave leather in the car: before you reach the gate. It saves a long walk back.
Wear socks: in summer the courtyards burn at midday, and in winter the marble is icy in the morning.
- Allow at least two hours: people who plan thirty minutes always wish they had more.
- Hire a guide who knows the carvings: only a guide will show you the snakes of Parshvanath or the dancers in the ceilings.
- See it twice: once at the start of visiting hours and once close to closing.
- Leave the langurs alone: they are wild. Don't feed them, and keep food out of sight.
