Global Treasures: Ranakpur

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1221

UPC: 879061008207

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Ranakpur, set close to the impressive backdrop of the Aravalli Mountains, contains one of the most beautiful religious buildings in northern India. In the 15th century, around a hundred kilometres north of the ancient royal city of Udaipur, the followers of the Jain religion built an architectural gem, the most important sanctuary in Ranakpur, the 4,000-square-metre Chaumukh Temple.

The beautiful domed ceiling that depicts the sixteen goddesses of wisdom, the Vidjadevi, forms the centre of the temple's main hall.

The lively portrayal of both the dancing figures and general ornamentation of the marble columns is in stark contrast to the enraptured Jain sculptures. The crouching figures within the niches stare out with ghostly eyes and thus create a mysterious atmosphere inside the temple.

Even today, the temple site of Ranakpur contains some of the most important examples of Jain architecture, and it has lost nothing of its original splendor.