Monday, 27 March 2017
The Jain Adinath Temple at Ranakpur is simply beyond words. This white marble marvel in the Aravalli Hills dates to the 15th century CE. To my mind, its rich sculpture and sheer volume of images surpasses the Taj Mahal (that other white marble wonder).
The Jain Adinath Temple at Ranakpur is simply beyond words. This white marble marvel in the Aravalli Hills dates to the 15th century CE. To my mind, its rich sculpture and sheer volume of images surpasses the Taj Mahal (that other white marble wonder).
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| While the outside of the temple is impressive, it doesn’t give a hint of the rich interior. |
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| The interior is simply overwhelming. Every square inch is covered with sculpture and the interior domes soar to great heights. There’s really no way for a photo to do justice. |
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| The domes are attention-getters. |
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| Another dome. |
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| The symmetry of the floor plan and the sheer number of columns makes it easy to get disoriented. |
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| A sculptural crown over a secondary shrine. |
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| A detailed marble medallion showing the 23rd tirthankara. |
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| Layers of balconies and roofs. |
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| The main tower. |
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| This tree was planted when the temple was built. |
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| The simple and vividly painted figures of the Jain tirthankaras stand in contrast to the elaborate designs in the rest of the temple. |
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| There are a few other temples on this site. This is the Sun Temple Lohengal. |
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