As is Meherangarh in Jodhpur and the Dilwara Temples of Mt. Abu weren't enough, on the way out of Udaipur, Kim and I stopped by another lovely fort, Kumbalgarh, and the spectacular Jain temple complex of Ranakpur.
Though admittedly not as fascinating (as a fort) as Meherangarh, Kumbalgarh's views were second to none. I can only imagine one day how nice it will be to find my own remote hill somewhere in the world and build myself a fort retreat to enjoy as a "get-away-from-it-all" sort of holiday. Yeah.
Ranakpur, on the other hand, simply blew me away. Its forest of columns made getting lost quite simple, and the entire structure's carved detail, which rivalled that of Dilwara, kept my gaze fixed until my eyes hurt. (I might not have blinked for an hour and a half... and I'm sure my dumb-mouth-agape-stares resulted in me drooling all over myself). Every ceiling, every pillar, every shrine, every last possible surface, was beautifully hewn from a creamy white marble that also looked, in parts, good enough to eat. In the hour and a half we spent there, I managed to complete only one round of the temple - I honestly didn't want to move any faster lest I miss some intricately carved piece that would take what breath I already didn't have away again.
1 comment:
These are some gorgeous pictures, Arpit.
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