Pilgrimage In India
Jain Pilgrimage 
India is bestowed with the blessings of the diverse religious faiths. Jainism is one of them, Jain Tirthankars - religious preachers spread the message of peace, non violence, love and enlightenment all over the world.
India holds immense attraction for all those who desire to see the great Jain architectural splendour, and to know and understand the teachings of the great Tirthankars- the liberated souls who, through hard penance, freed themselves from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
The essence of this great religion and its preaching is palpable in the cave temples, in the elaborately decorated carved stones and in the numerous illustrated manuscripts. Spread across Uttar Pradesh, these religious places are some of the best destination options for tourists and pilgrims. To explore history, religion, art and culture of the Jains in a state of pure bliss.
Important Jain Sites
An amazing example of Jain monumental splendour is found in the caves of Udaygiri & Kandhagiri, Dilwara temples, and Ranakpur temples.
Dilwara Temples, Rajasthan
Dilwara Temples are one of the finest Jain temples & many even consider them architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal.
Built between 11th & 13th century, the most outstanding feature are its exquisite carvings in marble.The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are the sacred pilgrimage of the Jains.
Palitana, Rajasthan
Amongst all the Jain temples, Palitana temples are considered to be the most sacred. Located on Shetrunjaya hills there are 863 temples, exquisitely carved in marble. No one is allowed to sleep overnight including the priest, because the temple city has been built as an abode for the Gods
Sravanabelagola, Karnataka
Sravanabelagola, a great centre for Jain culture is situated at a distance of about 100 kms from Mysore and is famous for its colossal statue of Gomateshwara who is also referred to as Lord Bahubali. Carved out of monolithic stone, the imposing 17 metre high statue of Gomata towers stands in majestic splendour and is visible even from a distance of 20 kms.
Udaigiri Caves
One of the earliest of Jain rock-cut shelters, the caves of Udayagiri dominates a prime position in eastern India in the fields of history, rock-cut architecture, art and religion. Huge residential blocks for the Jain monks were carved out of the rocks at Udayagiri in the 1st century BC, in the city of Bhubaneswar. These caves were also an excellent canvas for the detailing of various achievements of King Kharavela's reign.
Ranakapur, Rajasthan
The Ranakpur Jain Temple was built during the reign of the liberal and gifted Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. The basement is of 48,000 sq. feet area that covers the whole complex. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty-four pillared halls and domes supported by over four hundred columns. The total number of columns is 1,444 all of which are intricately carved with no two being alike. The artistically carved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures at a height of 45 feet are an interesting sight. In the assembly hall, there are two big bells weighing 108 kg whose sound echoes in the entire complex. The main temple is a Chaumukh or a four-faced temple dedicated to Adinath.
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