Jain Priest at the Ranakpur Temple
The Jain temple at Ranakpur, located 60 miles north of Udaipur in rural Rajasthan, is one of the most spectacular sights in India. Constructed in 1439, the temple consists of 29 halls and 1444 unique, ornate pillars carved from white marble. Throughout the temple are exquisitely carved idols and statues. The precision and detail of the carvings is mind blowing, as every single square inch of the complex is nothing short of art.
Travel Tip: although it is possible to visit the temple using public transport from Udaipur, I’d highly recommend a taxi as the road is winding and in poor condition.
We paid 3200 rupees for a taxi to the temple, a visit to nearby Kumbhalgarh Fort and then onward travel to Jodhpur. The total trip took about eight hours. Most travel agents in Udaipur can arrange the trip.
Planet Bell 
Nicely captured the tranquility and grandure…
I was here in dec 2011, it marveled me at how they could carve those tiny details…
Did you see the one pillar that they made lean slightly so that the temple would not be “perfect?” The priest showed it to us, saying only God can be perfect so they flawed in intentionally.
No I didn’t but that sounds incredible…I left the place early because after sometime, it started to feel too spiritual for me.
That is impressive that it felt too spiritual. There were quite a few tourists when I visited so I can’t say I had a spiritual moment there.
Wonderful scenery and great pictures !
Yeah, that’s pretty d**n cool. You’re (almost) making me want to visit India someday!
If you survive Honduras, which is now the murder capital of the world, you can go to India.
I was just showing this post to a friend. Both of us saying “holy crap I need to go there”
It was really special. There is an enormous fort about an hour away too that is truly incredible. Rajasthan overall is loaded with cool places.
Pictures are very nice. Have you been to Hampi and such places ? If not, next time you are in India, try the west coast trip. You might enjoy it and we can get to see some very cool pictures 🙂
I enjoyed Hampi very much. The ruins are cool, but the overall mellow vibe and natural scenery is what I loved.
I took some photos of Hampi, but that was the one place where I got a little Delhi Belly so I didn’t enjoy it to its fullest. Next time.
greattttttttttttt……………..job
I completed a tour of Rajasthan just a few weeks ago and the Jain temple was easily the most unexpected highlight. I’m hoping to get back to Ranakpur next time I visit. Despite its location in Rajasthan, which I assume attracts more tourists than any other state in India, it was incredibly peaceful. The scenery is exquisite, all the more so for being so far unmarred by all the passing visitors. Great shots.
I was surprised at the peace despite the crowds – I guess holy/amazing places like that created a sense of calm sometimes.
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Absolutely. I think your site is pretty cool.
It’s posted now. Thanks so much, we really appreciate it! 🙂
No problem. Thank you for posting it!
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