Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the largest and most important temples in Jain culture in India. Located in the south of Rajasthan state, it is considered one of the five most sacred places for Jains. In the 15th century, a local Jain businessman named Darna Shah was determined to build a beautiful temple after he was inspired by a dream. The construction of the temple started in 1389 and it took 50 years to be completed and approximately two thousand seven hundred and eighty-five workers were involved.
The magnificent structure of the temple is spread over 48,000 square feet of land, and supported by around 1400 intricately carved pillars, legend says that there are no two pillars the same. Carved with beautiful ancient designs, it is truly magical to witness such artist talent. You can explore this temple for hours just marveling at all the breathtaking designs.
Need To Know
This is a significant temple for Jains, so please keep your shoulders and knees covered (they have scarves available to rent for a small fee if needed). There are lockers to hold your belongings for free while you explore as bags, shoes, and leather items are prohibited inside.
Getting There
Ranakpur Jain Temple makes for a great pit stop on your travels between Udaipur and Jodhpur. Travel time and distance from the Jain Temple to Udaipur is 2.5 hours (93km), and to Jodhpur is 3 hours (156km). The Temple is open for tourist from 12:00noon till 5:00pm.
Costs
Entry fee: FREE
Photography: 100INR
Audio Guides in English, Hindi, French, German, Spanish: 200INR per person/guide.
(Highly recommend getting an audio guide, well worth it!)
Danielle In Wanderland 