Chaturmukha Jain Temple
Tucked away in the heart of the remote but enchanting valley of the Aravalli mountains is the renowned Jain temple at Ranakpur, dedicated to Tirthankara Adinatha.
Local legend reveals that Sheth Dharanashah, a 15th century local Jain minister and master builder, started construction of the magnificent Chaturmukha Temple following a divine vision. The temple honors Adinatha, the first Tirthankar lord and founder of the Jain religion. The town of Ranakpur and the temple are named after the provincial ruler monarch, Rana Kumbha who supported the construction of the temple. Under the direction of Sheth Dharanashah, along with master sculptor Depak from Mundara, and spiritual leader Acharya Somasundarsuriji, more than 2500 craftsmen and workers toiled for over 50 years to create the astounding marble temple.
The intricacies of the poetic stone carvings are mesmerizing as divine light dances rhythmically across the marble surfaces.
More than 1400 exquisitely carved marble pillars, each rising over forty feet in the air, provide the support for the temples ceilings and domes. Despite the infinite number of pillars compiling the temple halls and shrines, views of the Deity’s central statue remain unobstructed. From any corner of the temple one can easily view the Lord’s image.
The Details
It’s all in the details.
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“ As one enters the temple, it is as if a hand caused it to be. The details with all this effort, recede in the light of the glorious overall conception. It is only after the wonder of the spaces in their music of light becomes real and settled that the marvellous carving of the details takeover. It is all truly a marvel of architecture and spiritual expression.”
— Louis Kahn, 20th century master architect
