Ranakpur

90 kms from Udaipur is Ranokpur, one of the five holy centers of the Jam community. Built in the 15th century A.D., these temples loom larger than life. The central Chaumukha or four-faced edifice is dedicated to the venerated Tirthankaro Rishabdev. Open on all four sides, it enshrines the four-faced image of Adinath. Sprawling over 48,000 sq ft the temple is an astounding creation with 29 halls and 1,444 pillars all distinctly carved.

24 Tirthankaras are paid their due homage with their images carved on the mandaps or porticos in a corridor around the shrine. Each mandap rises in a shikhar or spire adorned with liffle bells on the top. The gentle breeze wafting through the corridors make the bells chime creating a celestial atmosphere around the complex. Rising three storeys, the temple has four small shrines with 80 spires supported by 420 columns. Two painstakingly curbed temples, similar to those in Khajuraho, are dedicated to the Jam saints Parshvanath and Neminath. Another one worth visiting is the nearby Sun Temple built around the 8th Century A.D. dedicated to the Sun God. With polygonal walls, richly embellished with carvings of warriors, horses and solar deities riding splendid chariots, the temple is possibly one of a kind to behold.