Jain Temple Ranakpur

Ivar Hagendoorn -

The Jain Temple in Ranakpur, a village between Udaipur and Jodhpur, is one of the largest and most important temples of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion. The complex consists of several temples. The main temple, spreading over 4,500 square meter, is the 15th century Chaturmukha temple dedicated to Adinath. It is pretty amazing, consisting of 29 halls, 80 intricately decorated domes and 426 columns. There are three smaller, equally beautiful temples, within the complex. To me this temple is on par with the most beautiful baroque and renaissance churches in Italy, Portugal and Spain.

A ceiling inside the Chaturmukha temple
The maze of columns inside the Chaturmukha temple
The ceilings are simply amazing
One of the smaller temples
The walls are covered with intricate carvings
A close-up of some of the explicit erotic sculptures