Kumbalgarth and Ranakpur

After spending 3 days in Udaipur, we set off on a drive to Jodhpur.  This went through really rural and remote areas of Rajasthan where it seemed life hadn't changed for centuries (we saw people using animal power to draw up water and power mills for example).  A couple of hours out of Udaipur we stopped at the hill fort of Kumbalgarth.

Kumbalgarth is high up on a hillside, surrounded by  15 foot thick walls that run for 36 kms around the fort.  You enter it through 7 fortified gateways.  The fort complex is in a very remote place, and from the top are views of the Aravalli Range and the sand dunes of the Thar Desert.  The fort was built in the 15th century, and only fell once as a result of a shortage of drinking water.  There are over 300 temples within the fort, most of them Jain temples.

After spending the morning at Kumbalgarth, we spent the afternoon at the Jain Temple complex of Ranakpur, known as being the most spectacular of all Jain temples.

The temple is made of marble and inside are 1444 pillars all carved.  Every pillar is different!