Table of Contents
HISTORY TV18 walks the Chaturmukh, the four faced marble temple at Ranakpur, in the forested hills of southwestern Rajasthan. The carving is called dense and the building intact, a pillar hall unlike others in India, with more than a thousand pillars, dozens of halls, eighty domes, and almost no walls, on three floors. Work is said to have begun in 1439 and lasted nearly half a century, in white stone from nearby ground, at the western edge of a Rajput kingdom then at a high tide of wealth and tied to a great fort. The temple was a courtier’s project, not the king’s. Legend has the plan arrive in sleep to a Jain devotee under a celibate vow, who tried to build the vision and dedicate the house to Adinath, first of the twenty four teachers of that faith. An architect called Deepak, from an obscure start, is credited with the scheme, and no drawings remain. One shaft was left bent on purpose, so the makers would not pretend to a divine finish.
Key points
- The report presents Ranakpur as a vast, nearly wall less marble hall of pillars, halls, and domes in the Aravalli country.
- Construction is dated from 1439 and is said to have taken almost fifty years.
- The idea is credited to a courtier and a dream, not to the ruler, and the house is dedicated to Adinath.
- An architect called Deepak is given the design, and no plans are said to survive.
- A Jain patron and a ruler of another Hindu path are described as sharing one local culture that still has Hindu priests serving.
- One pillar is said to have been left crooked on purpose as a check on human pride.
Short quotes
construction began in 1439 and took nearly 50 years
HISTORY TV18, Chaturmukh Temple
The report gives both the start year and a build time of almost half a century. Watch at 1:47
the temple was dedicated to Lord adinath
HISTORY TV18, Chaturmukh Temple
The house is assigned to Adinath, spoken of as the first teacher in that Jain line. Watch at 5:28
the incredible filigree is carved from a single slab of marble
HISTORY TV18, Chaturmukh Temple
Openwork carving on the shrine is described as coming from one piece of stone. Watch at 9:08
Video by HISTORY TV18. Watch on YouTube.