Located at the foot of a forest slope of the Arawalli Mounts, Ranakpur is one of the most astonishing sites jains, as well by the quality of its carved decorations, the complexity of the architecture of its temples, as by the charm of the place which a great religious enthusiasm animates.
Major work is the temple of Adinath, the first of Tirthankara, built at the 15 2nd century. Crystallization of the world, geometrical body of the divinity, the temple appears as an extremely complex building woven through 29 mandapa laid out on several levels along the cardinal axes around Mukha Mandapa central which shelters a very venerated statue of Tirthankara Adinath. It is equipped with four faces (chaturmukha) looking at the cardinal points.
It results from this structure a forest of domes and of will shikara and a true labyrinth of halls, course and pillars. The variety and the precision of the reasons finely engraved in the white marble are extraordinary and leave a feeling of amazement: celestial flowers, images various symbolic systems, gods and characters transform all surfaces into delicate stone filigrees. History (or captions it) known as that the craftsmen were paid with the weight of the marble dust obtained of their labour.
The cupolas of the mandapa, except the smoothness of their ornamentation, have the effect of being partitioned by twelve long and narrow statues. They represent of Surasundari, dancers celestial to the gracious pace. Under each one of them a specific form of Ganesh is; in its turn, each Ganesh overlaps human or a gana.
At outside, with the southern gate, a fort beautiful statue of the Sarasvatî goddess is to be announced.
It will be observed, in this extraordinary kingdom, that one of the pillars was voluntarily built slightly skew to mean that the perfection belongs only to God, not with the men.
Other temples, in the vicinity immediate, supplement the visit:
The temple of Sûrya where this Hindu god is represented upright on his tank drawn by seven pulled up horses. In the circumference external of the temple, other divinities are similarly illustrated upright on a tank drawn by seven horses. One will notice the Ganesh god on the northern wall the temple Jain de Suparshavanath, the 7 2nd Tirthankara, announces oneself by some erotic sculptures on the external walls.
Kumbhalgarh
To reach Kumbhalgarh, the road curves and rises gradually in the medium of the chain of Arawalli, mountains which cross almost the totality of the Rajasthan of north to the south.
Frightening sentinel at the borders of Mewar, the imposing fortress of Kumbhalgarh draws up its walls notched on a wooded hill dominating the valley. Its powerful fortifications in perfect state curve on 36 km. This vast citadel formerly sheltered a whole city and nearly 70 sanctuaries.
There remains about it only some temples and two chhattri (cenotaphs). The visit of this fortress, kept by seven massive doors impresses largely. Built at the 15 2nd century by Mahârana Kumbha, she knew many battles and was not overcome that in 1578 by a General of the Akbar emperor She dominates the surrounding forests of the Aravalli Mounts.
"Badal Mahal" (Palate of the Clouds), built at the 19 2nd century on the rock piton which constitutes the climax, one enjoys extraordinary sights on the mountains. The palate itself is of a secondary interest. Close to the last strengthened door, one will be able to also visit: