Siddi Saiyad Mosque, Ahmedabad

We then visited the Siddi Saiyad Mosque, constructed in 1572. From the backside we could see the several gorgeous stone jali windows. The depicted trees’ branches flowed and swirled, blending into the equally ornate background. Through the front side, the early morning sunlight poured through the tiny openings, casting the Tree of Life in shadow.

A short distance away was the Hathee Singh Jain temple, constructed in 1850. Here we admired the beautiful exterior figurative carvings.

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Ranakpur - Worth the Stop

Although it would have been quite a bit cheaper to take the train (or bus) directly to Jodhpur, I recommended to my friends that we take a taxi so we could stop in Ranakpur for a few hours. Just slightly under 100 km (56 mi) NW of Udaipur, this small town in the valley of the Aravalli Hills is home to the Adinath Temple. This 15th century Jain temple complex (dedicated to the god Adinath) is one of the five of the great holy places for the Jain religion. While one could rightly marvel at its scale (29 halls and four separate entrances), its sheer beauty carved in white marble makes it so remarkable. In contrast to the smooth marble floor, the rest of the interior is a feast for the detail-lover’s eyes. A forest of columns (1,444 in all - no two of which are alike) pushed upward on the corbellled ceilings with their radial depth. Sunlight poured through openings and courtyards, radiating the interior with a peaceful glow. Soft chanting and the ringing of bells could be heard in the otherwise quiet complex. Such serenity and beauty - definitely worth the stop.

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Udaipur Parade/Political Rally/?

While peering at shops rather narrow, but busy street, we heard a band approaching, led by a handsome young man on a decorated horse. Following the band was a decorated truck with Jain priests and a unclothed standing marble figure of a god. In front of the procession of the crowd was a cart with horn-shaped amplification and a man shouting out what sounded like a political rally. With the music playing, an older man in bare feet began dancing and shaking a percussive shaker with silver streamers in his hands. While it seemed rather incongruous to us, it must have made sense to the local onlookers.

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Mukteswar Temple

By the time we arrived at the Mukteswar Temple, the warm glow of the sun had disappeared. No matter, as the 10^th century temple was something to behold in and of itself. Slightly below eye-level on the main temple were sculptures of graceful female figures, with expressive faces and careful attention to hairstyles, and jewelry. Like the Lingaraj Temple, the deul (10.3 m high) had vertical ribs. One of the more notable elements of the complex is the beautiful torana (gateway).  Two female figures gently reclined on the gateway appearing to smile at those who entered through the opening. On each side was the head of an elephant-like creature, its trunk appearing to trumpet and announce the arrival of visitors. The ceiling of the jagomohan (assembly hall) was most unique, carved into a lotus with eight petals (most ceilings are plain). It reminded me more of the Jain temples I had seen in India. A bit of light still shone through the diamond-shaped latticed windows. Once again, time quickly sped by and we were asked to board the bus. Our day trip had come to an end. For me, this was the final day of my travels in Orissa. That next evening, I would be back in Chennai.

See more photos of Mukteswar Temple on my Flickr page

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