Ranakpur

Ranakpur sits in a fold of the Aravallis on the Maghai river, between Udaipur and Jodhpur, and the road there passes through teak forest where langurs and peacocks outnumber people. The temple was funded by Dharna Shah, a minister of Rana Kumbha, after a vision of a celestial vehicle, and his architect Depaka gave it a four-faced plan, with the tirthankara Adinath looking out in each direction. Inside, the effect is of light and stone in motion: 1,444 pillars of pale marble, no two carved alike, arranged so that from no point can you see all of them, and a ceiling of concentric rings and pendants in the main mandapa that rivals Dilwara.

Look for the panel showing 108 serpents with tails intertwined, and for the single pillar deliberately carved crooked to acknowledge human imperfection. Smaller temples to Parsvanath and Neminath stand in the compound, along with a Sun temple with carved chariots. Non-Jain visitors are admitted from noon, and the audio guide is included with the entry and camera fee.

The complex closes for lunch and for evening worship, so time it for early afternoon and eat at the temple's dharamshala, which serves an excellent Jain thali without onion or garlic. Ranakpur pairs with Kumbhalgarh, an hour into the hills, and the forest lodges nearby make a restful night between Udaipur and Jodhpur.