Ranakpur is a small town in Rajasthan, located in the Aravalli Range around sixty kilometres north of the city of Udaipur. It takes its name from Rana Kumbha. The site owes its renown to a group of predominantly Jain temples and is one of the five major pilgrimage sites of Jainism. The most important temple, that of Adinatha, is one of the finest and largest Jain structures in India. It was built by a wealthy merchant, Dharna Sah, who, following a vision of the completed temple on this spot, approached the architect Depaka and sought the help of Rana Kumbha, who granted him the land and the necessary assistance. Construction took place in the mid-15th century, resulting in an immense temple comprising 29 halls, with 80 domes supported by 420 pillars. The building is said to contain a total of 1,444 pillars, each carved with different ornamentation. The whole structure is built of white marble, every centimetre of which is engraved, carved and ornamented. The temple is also known as Chaumukha, meaning “four faces”, as the cella houses a four-faced Tirthankara looking out towards the four cardinal points. Alongside the marvel that is the Adinatha temple, there are two other 15th-century Jain temples (one dedicated to Neminatha and the other to Parshvanatha, the 21st and 23rd Tirthankaras respectively) and a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya, dating from the 13th century.
