Ranakpur, IndiaRanakpur is one of the five most important pilgrimage temples of Jainism, an ancient

Ranakpur, IndiaRanakpur is one of the five most important pilgrimage temples of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion that upholds non-violence and the respect of all beings as its central tenet. It was built during the 15th century following a divine vision by Dharma Shah, a local businessman, and is dedicated to Tirthankara Adinatha, a teaching god of the present half-cycle in Jain cosmology.One of the most distinctive features of this temple, other than its divine beauty, is that it has no complete walls. Sunlight therefore floods the temple throughout the day and illuminates the temple from within by reflecting off of its intricately carved, white marble surfaces. Each of its 1,444 columns is unique to remind us of man’s imperfection, and the temple was built around any pre-existing trees in accordance with the Jain philosophy of non-violence.As a result of some of the overlaps that Jainism has with Hindu beliefs, the artwork found at Ranakpur contains both Hindu and Jain imagery. For instance, twelve yashis (minor female divinities that are often associated with Hindu temples) dance around the central dome of Ranakpur. They each carry different accoutrements and are stylistically similar to the Brooklyn Museum’s yakshi, which was also made in Rajasthan and holds a bangle in each hand. Yakshis, along with other typical figures found in Hindu temples, are often in dynamic poses that show movement and flexibility. Their fluid actions contrast the characteristic poses of Jain temple figures, as seen in the image of the 23rd teaching god Shri Parshwanathjee at Ranakpur. He stands bolt upright, with pendant arms and earlobes framing his stoic stance. His posture is the same as Brooklyn Museum’s figure of his successor, the 24th teaching god Jina Mahavira.After Ranakpur, we continued on to the desert sandstone temples of Jodhpur!Posted by Amanda Imai -- source link

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