The famous Jain temple at Ranakpur is one of the biggest of its kind in India. It is dedicated to Adinatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual leaders) who were the gurus of Jainism. A local Jain businessman started the construction of the temple in 1389 after a divine vision and it was completed in 1446. Every temple is dedicated to a Tithankara, and every Tithankara has his own tree. So the Ranakpur temple’s tree is the rowan and the ancient rowan tree growing in the centre of the temple is more than 500 years old. The carving on the 1,444 marble pillars is glorious and marble statues of the 24 Tirthankaras have been installed in niches inside the walls of the temple. The Mughal emperor visited the temple and was so impressed with Jainism that he banned hunting in the temple grounds and inscribed a statement to this effect on one of the columns. Another column is deliberately imperfect on the grounds that only God can do perfect stuff.
Our hotel at Ranakpur
One of the tirthankaras
Another of the 24 tirthankaras
The Rowan Tree
Supposedly Adinatha’s footprints
Jennifer is getting templed out
