Ranakpur sits on the main road from Jodhpur to Udaipur and is easily dismissed as just another village along the way. Not so for the followers of the Jain branch of Hinduism – Ranakpur is one of the five most important Jain sites in the world and home to a collection of the most stunning temples in India – if not the world. The most famous amongst them is the Chaumukha Temple with its 29 halls, 80 domes and a staggering 1,444 carved pillars, no two of which are identical! Started in the 15th century and in spite of 50 years of construction, the temple complex still remains unfinished.



Taking the time to explore the local area is also well worth it and reveals more about life in rural India. As you head up from the plains in to the mountains there are numerous vantage points offering simply stunning views, the colours of the landscape changing from the dusty ochres, in to all the shades of green you can imagine. Stray off the main road you are transported in to a different world – small pockets of farming communities, still using traditional methods in completely unspoiled surroundings.



For wildlife enthusiasts the leopard sanctuary will definitely be of interest (although it's not always open!) and even if you're just driving through, you can't miss the bands of black face monkies posted along the road, and the occasional loner contemplating life sitting on a boulder.