Jain Journal 1990 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 59

OCTOBER, 1990
Ranakpur is a caumukha temple. Its ground has a pivotal square at the centre with four images of Adinatha in padmāsana, each 72 inches in height. Desepite its immense proportions and many columns these presiding deities in their sanctum sanctorums can be viewed from all sides. Which is why both the images and the temple are known as caumukha or sarbatobhadra.
Besides, there are 76 smaller cells and 84 shrines to minor deities round the temple. There are similar cells in the upper storeys, too. Other deities and the hallowed grounds where the Tirthankaras attained nirvāņa like Astapada, Giranara and Sammetsikhara (Pareshnath Hills in Bihar) have been represented in stone.
Under the temple are innumerable subterranean cells with Jain images. One has to watch one's step while descending into the taperlit gloom.
In its totality the magnificent temple represents the celestial city, the cosmic Mount Meru with its lofty śikharas symbolising forests and peaks or even the world cave with its dark garbhagrhas sheltering the icons, in accordance with the Jain cosmic system. This is what its founder Dharanshah had in mind when he planned the temple. He was a minister of Rana Kumbha, apart from being a deeply religious man who became an ascetic at the relatively early age of 32.
In his dream he had seen the Nalinigulamadevavimana an aeria, abode or one of the kalpas of Jainism. With the blessings of his Gurul Somasundar Surisvarji, he began the task of building a Dharanabihar temple, or in other words recreating heaven on earth in the year V.S. 1446. Rana Kumbha too was very enthusiastic. He promised to provide the land required for the temple and build a settlement around it. Many artists had thrown in their lot to win this great project but the one whose plan finally won the seal of approval was Sri Dipa who was from Mundara. An inscription on a pillar near the temple's entrance corroborates this.
After 50 years, the temple was finally erected in V.S. 1496 at a cost of what now seems a measly Rs. 99 Lakhs. In the same year Somasundar Surisvarji along with an entourage of 500 monks threw open the four entrance of what was also known as the Trailokyadipakaprasada or Tribhuvanavihara temple as its plan reflected the Jain view. Dharanshah had originally planned a seven-storey structure but he settled for three storeys as he was well-advanced in years.