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Dilwara and Ranakpur Jain temples

Dilwara on Mount Abu and Ranakpur in Pali are the best-known Jain temples of Rajasthan, both carved in white marble.

⏱ 1 min read✓ Facts checked 15 October 2026

Contents

At a glance

  1. Deities: Adinath (Rishabhdev), the first Tirthankara, at Vimal Vasahi, Pittalhar and Ranakpur; Neminath (22nd) at Luna Vasahi; Parshvanath (23rd) and Mahavir Swami (24th) at the other two.
  2. Style: Dilwara is the leading example of the Solanki (Chalukya) style of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  3. Spellings: Ranakpur's builder appears as Dharna Shah, Dharni Shah or Dharanak Shah.

Dilwara, Mount Abu

PlaceMount Abu, Sirohi district, about 2.5 km from the town
TemplesFive: Vimal Vasahi, Luna Vasahi, Pittalhar, Parshvanath and Mahavir Swami
Period11th to 16th century
TempleBuilt by and whenNotes
Vimal VasahiVimal Shah; 1031 (1026 in some accounts)The earliest of the five
Luna VasahiVastupal and Tejpal; 1230Devrani-Jethani niches
PittalharBhima ShahMetal image of Adinath said to weigh 108 maunds
ParshvanathMandlik; 15th centuryThree storeys
Mahavir Swami

Ranakpur

PlaceRanakpur, near Sadri, Pali district
Main shrineChaumukha temple, with a four-faced image of Adinath
BuilderDharni Shah, a Jain merchant
RulerRana Kumbha (1433–1468), who supported the work
Pillars1,444, hence the name 'museum of pillars'
SculptorDeepak (Depak)
Also in the complexA Sun (Surya Narayan) temple

Remember: often mixed up

  • Pittalharnamed for the brass (pital) of its Adinath image · built by Bhima Shah, not Vimal Shah.
  • ChaumukhaRanakpur's main temple is four-faced · Dilwara's Parshvanath temple also has four-faced (Chaumukha) images.
  • PatronsVimal Shah was a minister of the Chalukya (Solanki) king Bhimdev I · Vastupal and Tejpal were ministers of the Vaghela ruler Virdhaval (RajRAS: Bhimdev II).

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