Ranakpur Jain Temple, Ranakpur

This 14th century Jain temple in Ranakpur, Rajasthan, is highly acclaimed for its 1,444 hand carved pillars of Sevali and Sonarna stone. Each pillar has it's one unique and religiously significant design based on one of the five major tents of the Jain religion (Achaurya, non-stealing; Ahimsa, non-violence; Satya, truth; Brahmacharya, celibacy; Aparigraha, non-attachment/non-possession). Despite the unique of the pillars, the temple is marked by a sharp symmetry. I paid for a camera pass but the guards hawking around constantly sparked an odd sense of guilt, so not many pictures were taken.Read more