Ranakpur Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in India, makes a perfect day trip if you are traveling between Udaipur and Jodhpur. We were very pleasantly surprised with the beauty and serenity of this temple.
What is Ranakpur Temple?
Ranakpur Temple is a Jain temple located in the state of Rajasthan. Jainism is an Indian religion that emphasizes non-violence and asceticism. Jain temples are few and far between and Ranakpur is noted by some people as being the most beautiful. Another famous grouping of Jain temples are the temples of Khajuraho, famous for their amorous carvings.
For us, it was a three hour drive from Udaipur to Ranakpur Temple. It takes about an hour to visit the temple, the perfect amount of time to get out of the car and stretch your legs before resuming your journey.
Our Experience
We arrived just before visiting time, bought our tickets, and Tim and I were each loaned a pair of long pants so we could enter the temple. Tyler and Kara, being children, were permitted to enter while wearing short pants.
As we walked towards the temple, I was surprised to see this sign directed towards women:
The temple is beautiful from the outside but the four of us were amazed by the beauty on the inside. The entire temple is carved from white marble and over 1,444 pillars hold up the ceiling. All of the carvings were intricate in detail, portraying people, elephants, flowers, and geometrical patterns.
Once you pay the entrance fee, you are able to explore the temple on your own. While inside of the temple, be aware that the Pujaris will expect a “donation” if you accept their offer to provide a tour or to say a prayer for you.
Update: You can now tour the temple with an audio guide.
On the same property are two much smaller temples that we visited and in our opinion, not worth the time, especially not after the splendor of Ranakpur.
While heading back to our car, we passed this sign (and I wish I had my photo taken with it, as I was turning 40 the next day).
About Visiting Ranakpur Temple:
Getting There: Arrive by car or bus only. The closest airport is in Udaipur and the closest train station is Falna, located 36 kilometers away. We hired a driver for the day, left Udaipur at 9:30 am, arrived at Ranakpur at noon, and then had a three hour drive to Jodhpur.
- Distance to Udaipur – 93 km (2.5 hours)
- Distance to Jodhpur – 156 km (3 hours)
- Distance to Jaipur – 357 km (5 hours)
Opening Hours: Ranakpur Temple is open everyday. Tourists are allowed to tour the temple from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The temple is open for prayer prior to 12:00 pm.
Nearby: In addition to Udaipur and Jodhpur, Mt. Abu is located nearby, 160 kilometers away and a 2.5 hour drive. Mt Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan, a small, forested mountain range which is an oasis in the desert of Rajasthan. Visitors who come here have the opportunity to visit more temples and do a little hiking.
More Information about India
PLACES TO GO IN INDIA: Journey through India in photos. Go on a camel safari in Jaisalmer, see the Taj Mahal, visit Varanasi, and see the beautiful temples in Khajuraho.
MUMBAI: Find out what it is like to take a food tour in Mumbai, what it is like to visit Dharavi, and see Mumbai in photos.
TRAVEL INSPIRATION: Here is a long list of great travel books to feed your wanderlust and a list of the best travel movies.
Are you planning a trip to India? Read all of our articles about India in our India Travel Guide.
All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc.), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
Comments 11
Hello. How much are the fees to entry?
Thank you
Author
I’m not sure what the fee is. Our visit was in 2014 so it has changed since then and it is hard to find accurate info online. It might be free to enter, with a small additional fee for the audioguide and a camera ticket. Cheers, Julie
This is a really nice blog. Visited here for the first time, definitely not the last. I too am planning to visit the place. Currently I’m searching for some of the best hotels in Ranakpur. Do you have any idea?
Author
No, I don’t have any specific recommendations since we visited Ranakpur on a day trip between Udaipur and Jodhpur. Cheers, Julie
Nice one. I have recently visited Ranakpur. It’s really an amazing place.
Just little correction : You mentioned about Jain Monk for tour but those are not monks. Those are called Pujaris who generally takes care of temple. To avoid this kind of situation, Ranakpur recently added audio guide which is available in Hindi, English, French, German and Spanish language with 200 INR per person/audio. Guiding in main temple by any human is prohibited by the trust. 🙂
Loved your site. Keep Sharing.
Author
Thanks for the clarification!! Cheers, Julie
thanks for this blog – really helpful.
seems like hiring a driver in india is a sensible way to travel.
can you share roughly how much it is to hire a driver & car for a day?
what’s included (ie: are meals, fuel, tips etc on top of that fee?)
thanks muchly
sandra johnson
new zealand
Author
We paid 3,300 Indian Rupee’s ($54 USD at that time) for a driver to take us from Udaipur to the Ranakpur Temple and then onward to Jodhpur. That amount included driver, car, fuel, tip, the driver waiting for us at the Ranakpur Temple, and the driver waiting for us to eat lunch at a restaurant near the temple. It did not include the cost of the lunch.
Hello Julie,
Very informative blog. We are a family of 4 who would be travelling to Rajasthan in car coming January. Would you please mind sharing the name of the taxi services your used and whether you were pleased with them. We are looking for an honest and reliable company to take us around and the choices online (with no references) are a bit overwhelming. Thanks in advance!
Author
Hello Mona. We booked a private driver through our hotel in Udaipur, the Hotel Boheda Palace. I do not know if the driver is part of a company, we just trusted the hotel staff and their connections. We did have a very good experience. The car was clean and the driver was safe. Sorry, I don’t have any more info than this, but you could try contacting Hotel Boheda Palace for more info. By the way, you never know what you will see on the roads in India. On the drive from Ranakpur Temple to Jodhpur, our driver literally had to stop our car in the center of the highway as a herd of over 200 cows walked down the road. 🙂 Cheers, Julie
Fabulous
We are much older but share your passion
For travel adventure
We are off to Nepal and India in January
We only took our children to Europe and China
But now they have a passion
Enjoy and Treasure