Since I had an extra day in Udaipur, which yes, I could have spent exploring the city a little more, but I decided to travel outside the city. I had heard good things about both the Rankapur Jain temple and the Kumbalgarh fort, which could be clubbed together as a day trip to the area.
How to book the trip
I booked the trip with a local travel agent suggested by the hostel I was staying at. The trip would happen only if they could get 4 people to sign up for it, and as luck would have it, there were 3 others looking to go on the same day as me. We started off early in the morning, by a non A/C Tata Indica, which was cheaper than an A/C vehicle.
Check out my guide to Jaipur, to know which sights to visit, and which you can miss out on if you are on a time crunch!
My guide to Jodhpur is all you need to plan the perfect holiday!
Why were we told to start early?
The reasoning behind starting early was that we had to get back by late afternoon, or early evening, as the route towards the temple and fort is frequented by bandits! Now that was something I hadn’t heard ever! So that was quite the surprising revelation that the tour agent and driver had for all of us.
We rushed through breakfast, and kept to the time that the driver gave us for each of the sights, and didn’t waste time during lunch either, since we were all a little nervous. But, we made it back by early evening, and all was good!
It isn’t often that I travel through the lawless parts of India, actually I had never travelled in a place where there was a high likelihood of bandits looting you in the middle of the road!
Check out my detailed guide to Udaipur!
The journey
We drive a distance of 93km in 2hours to reach the Jain temple, and then 33km in a little more than an hour to reach Kumbalgarh fort. On our way back from the fort ( a distance of 86km), we stopped for lunch, after which we were driven back to our hostel.
Go on a photo tour of Udaipur's City Palace
Rankapur Jain temple
It is also known as Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara was built in the 15th century is dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha. The temple is built in marble, and has awe inspiring intricate carvings. You can see the temple quickly, or get audio guides at an additional cost and explore and understand the carvings of the temple. It is definitely worth a visit. It was my first visit to a jain temple, and this was an absolute beauty to look at!
Tips
-Women have to cover their shoulders and their ankles. (I had a shawl with which I covered my shoulders, but my skirt was calf length, and the women at the door tried really hard to pull the skirt down for it to reach my ankles. They only stopped because I told them the hooks on it might break with all that tugging, and that the skirt is not going to come down!)
-Footwear is not allowed inside the temple, they have to be left outside.
Check out my detailed guide, and a photo tour of Ranakpur Jain Temple
Kumbalgarh Fort
This UNESCO World Heritage site was a fort of the Mewar kingdom built in the 6th century in the Aravalli hills. Its walls extend 83km, and is the second largest continuous walls after the Great Wall of China, and the second largest fort in India after Chittor fort.
The fort also has many hindu & jain temples within its premises. Waking around the fort accessible through its main gates can take a LONG time. I’m not sure how much of the fort is accessible from the point of entry. You won’t get bored of walking through it, as there is so much beauty in the architecture. But, it is extremely tiring, and the scorching hot sun didn’t make things any easier.
Tip
-Bring a bottle of water!
Let me know your thoughts or questions in the comments below!