Taranga Hills
Taranga Hills
As you ascend upward the Taranga Jain temple, in the fresh air of the hill, welcomes you.
This 12th century derasar, is one of the best preserved and least restored
temples in Gujarat, and a testament to the devotion and dedication of the
Solanki Rajputs. Though a less-frequent stop on the standard tourist trail, it
is considered to be one of India’s most treasured works of architecture.
The temple lingers mysteriously in the consciousness of its visitor. The almost absent gaze of the tirthankar inside contrasts with the overflow of fluid sensual movements of dancing maidens, gods and goddesses, lovingly detailed outside in stone. The voluptuous damsels in their intricately carved costumes, as though dancing, both graceful and arousing. In the words of travel writer Philip Ward, “If you thought Jainism would be too intellectual to appeal to you, let this riot of sculptural delights overwhelm you.
Best Time To Visit Taranga Hills
Barring
the extreme summer months from March to May, the temple can be visited anytime.
The temperature in summers touches 39 degree celsius. Intermittent rains happen
throughout the year. So no matter how hot today is, chances of seeing a
pleasant climate the next day are high. People come here especially on full
moon days.
How to get there:
By road: Approx. 130 Kms from Ahmedabad,
50 Kms from Ambaji shrine and 56 Kms from Mehsana. Bus service and private
vehicle rental are available from Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan, Siddhpur and
Ambaji. Your bus will drop you off at Timba near Danta. You can get a shared
(Rs. 5/-) or private (Rs. 50/-) jeep for the 8 km to Taranga.
By rail: The nearest major
railway stations are Visnagar (38 kms), Mehsana (52 kms), Unjha (54 kms) &
Vijapur (60 kms) approx. A slow local train also travels from Mehsana to
Taranga (2 hrs.) The temple is 5 km from the railway station.
By air: The nearest Airport is
Ahmedabad, approx. 125 Kms from Taranga.
Taranga Jain Temple
Also known
as Ajitnath Temple, the temple, dating back to the 12th century AD, sports
stunning architecture. One has to climb nearly 700 steps to get here. Along the
path, many smaller temples are scattered, which are dedicated to Buddhist
goddesses.
Upon reaching the summit, what welcomes
one is an imposing sight of the seven-domed temple. It houses a 5- metre tall
sculpture of Shri Ajitnath, the second Jain Tirthankar.
The sanctorum bathes in red colour, while the exteriors of the temple are made up of white sandstone and bricks. One may also see the footprints of the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, on the right side as also footprints of 20 Thirthankaras on the left side of the temple. The outer walls display an array of idols, mostly of women, in dancing positions. Many munis are believed to have attained enlightenment at the temple.
The sanctorum bathes in red colour, while the exteriors of the temple are made up of white sandstone and bricks. One may also see the footprints of the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, on the right side as also footprints of 20 Thirthankaras on the left side of the temple. The outer walls display an array of idols, mostly of women, in dancing positions. Many munis are believed to have attained enlightenment at the temple.
Dharoi Dam
- Taranga
Dharoi Dam is also
known as "Harnav Dam" or "Vanaj Dam" situated at Vanaj near
to Vijaynagar, Sabarkantha. We can reach this Dam from Ambaji, Khedbrahma and
Ahmedabad from different routes. It is 170 kms far from Ahmedabad and near to
Polo Forest. You can plan both Taranga hills and Dharoi Dam together. Please
plan soon after a Rainy Season.Very lonely place, calm and very conformtable
for those who loves pure atmosphere. I had visited this Dam two times one with
friends and other with friends and family.
Buddhist Temples in Taranga Hills
The
hills also have a connection with Buddhism as they shelter temples of
Taranamata, from whose name the village derives its name. The temple has
ancient sculptures, one of which is a carved-out figurine of Dhyani Buddha on a
stone plate.
Digambara Jain temples
Digambaras
settled on this isolated hill with its three rocky peaks in early times. It is
said that 35,000,000monastics,
including the Ganadharas Varadutta and Sagardutta, attained
The two hillocks named Kotishila and Siddhashila have shrines with idols of
the Tirthankaras, Neminath, Mallinath dated
Vikram Samvat 1292. There are 14 Digambara temples in the foothills and a Digamabara dharamshala
at the foothills. On the highest elevation of the three-peaked hill, there
stands a "Tonk", a shrine built by Digambaras, it houses a marble
statue of the nineteenth Tirthankara, .
History of Taranga Jain Temple
The
construction of the temple was commissioned by the then Solanki King
Kumarpala(1145-72 AD). It is said that the temple was built under the guidance
of Hemachandracharya, a famed poet and Jain scholar. After many centuries, the
temple was renovated by Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century.
The two hillocks named Kotishila and
Sidhhshila have idols of Bhagwan Neminath and Bhagwan Mallinath of Vikram 1292,
by the Jain calendar (1235 AD, by the Gregorian calendar). There are 14
Digambar Jain temples and one dharamshala in the foothills. Digambar Jains have
been settled on this isolated hill since the time of Ajitnath Bhagwan, the 2nd
Jain tirthankar.
Apart from Ajitnath Jain Temple, the hills are famous for a series of Digambar Jain temples. The 14 temples here are dedicated to different Thirthankaras who attained salvation here.
Apart from Ajitnath Jain Temple, the hills are famous for a series of Digambar Jain temples. The 14 temples here are dedicated to different Thirthankaras who attained salvation here.
