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The Holy Temple of Ranakapura and Abu Dr. Kamini Gogri
All Photos by Thomas Dix
1.0 Introduction
On a curve of the boulder-strewn Maghai River in Rajasthan, in a tiny enclave formed by the forested Ar valli hills, lies the sacred site of R nakapura. In the 15th century several temples were built there and a bustling township overlooking the valley occupied the western slopes of the hills. Of the glory of those days, little remains today. The town has disappeared without a trace- the memory of its existence being occasionally conjured up by a vessel, or a gold coin discovered by wandering goatherds. One of the surviving fanes, set slightly apart from the rest, is the Sun temple built by illustrious R nakumbha, the Hindu ruler of powerful Rajput kingdom of Mewar. Three of the other temples belong to the Jainas. Of them all, the most impressive is the 'Dha
(the first lord of this aeon). It is also known as Trailokyadipaka Pr s da-the temple of the light of the three worlds.
The builder of
family that bore the title of sanghapati (one who borne the costs of the pilgrimage of others). The name shah indicates that he amassed his wealth as a banker or as a merchant. According to Jaina tradition, he gained the confidence of the king and was appointed minister. At the age of 32, however, greatly influenced by the sermons of the monk r Somasundara suruji, he retired from the world to practice celibacy. In a dream he saw a marvelous heavenly vehicle, nalinigulm vim na (lotus flight), which impressed him so much that he suggested, the temple and township.
, facing the four cardinal directions). The latter concept was important for him in order to have it like Raj vihara temple of King Kum rp la. Finally in Depaka, an architect from a neighboring village, he found the man to bring this project to fruition. The temple is said to have been begun in 1377 or 1387, depending on the source consulted. Tradition has it that the main structure of the temple was finall Somasundersuriji.
