Ranakpur Part 1: The Temple

I get the feeling I'm going to use the word spectacular a lot in this blog, so I apologise if you get a sense of deja vu while reading it. But, I would never use such a powerful word lightly, so when I do begin to sound like a broken record, know that it's not from laziness but from genuine, vocabulary-suppressing wonder at the endless supply of jaw-dropping sights on offer.

It's time, ladies and gentlemen, to take a trip to Jain heaven...

Whilst waiting on the train platform in Ajmer, I met an American girl and amateur photographer named Laura. We were both heading to Jodhpur so we chatted while we waited for the hour-late train to finally arrive. From a friend back home, she'd been given a must-see tip for Rajasthan, the Ranakpur Temple. Turned out to be an awesome tip.

Ranakpur isn't easy to get to (it's in the middle of nowhere, 220km+ from Jodhpur), so for AU$50 Laura and I hired a car (with private driver and petrol included!) to take us on the 440km round trip.

Ranakpur is spectacular. Spectacular, spectacular, spectacular!

The main temple is constructed from white marble, nearly an acre in size, and around 6 stories high. Inside there is something in the order of 1,400 pillars, and every square inch of space, inside and out, has been detailed with supremely intricate religious symbols, shapes and idols.

The lack of colour makes it pretty hard to photograph, but some say it's a spectacle to rival the Taj. I'm yet to see the Taj, so I'll reserve my judgment for now, but this temple is going to be hard to top.