Ranakpur: The Chaumukha Temple of a Thousand Pillars

Deep in a secluded valley of the Aravalli hills in the Pali district of Rajasthan, far from any major town, stands one of the most beautiful temples in all of India: the great Chaumukha temple of Ranakpur, dedicated to Adinatha, the first Tirthankara. Set amid forested slopes near the Maghai river, its complex of soft honey-coloured marble seems to grow organically from the landscape, and the sense of remoteness only heightens the impression of stepping into a place set apart from the ordinary world.

The temple was built in the fifteenth century under the patronage of Dharna Shah, a Jain businessman and minister, with the support of Rana Kumbha, the ruler of Mewar, after whom the site is named. Construction is traditionally said to have begun around 1439 and to have continued over many decades, an immense undertaking that produced a structure of remarkable complexity on a raised platform, enclosed within high walls.

The temple is a chaumukha, or four-faced shrine, meaning the central image of Adinatha faces in all four cardinal directions, allowing the deity to be seen from every side and symbolising the Tirthankara's omnidirectional presence. The plan is correspondingly symmetrical, organised around this central sanctuary with a bewildering array of halls, subsidiary shrines, courtyards and domes radiating outward.

Ranakpur is above all famous for its pillars, of which there are said to be 1,444, and the tradition holds that no two are carved exactly alike. They rise in forests of marble to support a series of tiered ceilings and domes, and the play of light through the open halls shifts throughout the day, so that the columns are said to change colour from gold to pale silver as the sun moves across the sky. Among the celebrated features are the great carved ceilings, the sculpted brackets in the form of celestial nymphs, and a remarkable carving of a many-headed serpent whose tails intertwine without any beginning or end.

The overall effect is one of soaring, luminous space filled with intricate detail, a building that rewards both the sweeping glance and the closest inspection. The scale is vast; the temple is said to contain more than eighty domes and to have been designed so that from the central image one can gain darshan through numerous aligned openings. Nearby stand smaller temples, including one dedicated to Parshvanatha with especially fine erotic and figurative carving on its exterior, and a sun temple, giving the site a rich ensemble character.

For pilgrims, Ranakpur is a major Shvetambara tirtha and remains an active place of worship, with daily rituals and a steady flow of devotees. Visitors of all faiths are welcomed, though certain hours are reserved for worship and darshan, and non-worshippers are usually admitted in the later part of the day. The usual rules apply: modest dress, removal of leather, and respectful conduct within the sacred halls.

Ranakpur lies between Udaipur and Jodhpur, roughly 90 kilometres from Udaipur, and is easily combined with a visit to the nearby Kumbhalgarh fort. The cooler months from October to March are ideal for a visit, when the valley is green after the rains and the marble glows in the mild sun. Standing amid the endless carved pillars, many travellers count Ranakpur among the most moving buildings they have ever entered.