ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA
Ranakpur Jain Temple- Located in the village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan, Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the seven wonders of India. The construction is well documented in a 1437 CE copper-plate record. It is a superb example of classic architecture which makes it a haven for architects all over the world. The temple is said to have been built by Seth Dharna Sah (a Jain businessman) with the aid of Rana Kumbha, who ruled Mewar.
The temple is beautifully constructed using light colored marble and noted for its distinctive domes, pillars, shikhara, turrets and cupolas. It rises majestically from the slope of a hill of the Aravali range. It has 24 pillared halls with 80 domes that are supported by 400 columns. Over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail, support the temple. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. It is also said that it is impossible to count the pillars. Also all the statues face one or the other statue. There is one beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock where there 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails. One cannot find the end of the tails. The image faces all four cardinal directions. In the axis of the main entrance, on the western side, is the largest image. You would be amazed to see at a height of 45 feet engraved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures. Another stunning act about these columns is that they change their colour from golden to pale blue after every hour during the day.
It is due to the intricacy of the structure that the temple took approximately 65 years to complete.
Ranakpur Jain Temple- Located in the village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan, Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the seven wonders of India. The construction is well documented in a 1437 CE copper-plate record. It is a superb example of classic architecture which makes it a haven for architects all over the world. The temple is said to have been built by Seth Dharna Sah (a Jain businessman) with the aid of Rana Kumbha, who ruled Mewar.
The temple is beautifully constructed using light colored marble and noted for its distinctive domes, pillars, shikhara, turrets and cupolas. It rises majestically from the slope of a hill of the Aravali range. It has 24 pillared halls with 80 domes that are supported by 400 columns. Over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail, support the temple. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. It is also said that it is impossible to count the pillars. Also all the statues face one or the other statue. There is one beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock where there 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails. One cannot find the end of the tails. The image faces all four cardinal directions. In the axis of the main entrance, on the western side, is the largest image. You would be amazed to see at a height of 45 feet engraved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures. Another stunning act about these columns is that they change their colour from golden to pale blue after every hour during the day.
It is due to the intricacy of the structure that the temple took approximately 65 years to complete.
No comments:
Post a Comment