On day 11 of our Gate 1 Travel – 15 Day Classic India with Ranthambore itinerary, we departed the Ranbanka Palace Hotel in Jodhpur right after breakfast.
We were off on our nearly 300-kilometer journey to the beautiful lake city of Udaipur. Along the way, we stopped a few places you don’t want to miss.
1 – Ranakpur Jain Temple
Our first visit was to the incredible Ranakpur Jain Temple or Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara. The temple is one of Jain’s holiest pilgrimage centers and the Jain Temple. It dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries, crafted of pure white marble with more than a thousand columns.
This is truly worth the visit and spending an hour or so. The temple is famous for its intricate carvings and unique architecture.
2- Kumbhalgarh Ranakpur Wildlife Sanctuary
This 600 square kilometer wildlife sanctuary is a significant destination all by itself. It covers four different hill and mountain ranges and three districts of Western India.
We were only fortunate to stop at the WelcomeHeritage Maharani Bagh Orchard Retreat for a quick lunch at their outdoor dining room. They offered Rajasthani, Indian, and Continental cuisine.
However, despite being the foodies we are, we decided to try the Chicken Nuggets and Fries. We weren’t very hungry and just wanted a quick bite and something cold to drink.
If nothing else, the walk through the beautifully shaded property and the spotlessly clean bathrooms made the stop worthwhile. If you are in the region, be sure to check out more of the wildlife sanctuary.
While you are in the sanctuary area, be on the lookout for local farmers working in the fields. We saw this farmer using an ox to power a water wheel to water his crops.
3 – Shri Om Banna and Bullet Baba
A few hours down the road, we stopped at one of the most interesting places on our entire trip.
It is said that Om Banna, formerly known as Om Singh Rathore, crashed his motorcycle a 350 cc Royal Enfield Bullet, allegedly while driving under the influence.
The story goes that the police moved the cycle to the station, and the next morning it was gone and back at the scene of the crash. Thinking it was a prank, the police drained the gas and chained up the bike. The next morning the chains were broken, and the bike was found back at the site of the crash.
Legend says that the motorcycle kept returning to the same ditch regardless of what police did.
This was considered a miracle by locals, word spread, and it is widely believed that Om Banna’s spirit helps distressed travelers. The shrine and motorcycle were beautifully decorated with fresh floral garlands. There was a line of people waiting to see this fantastic motorcycle.
A few other things to look for when you stop at the shrine is this local man who uses his ox to press sesame seeds for oil.
Right behind them, the family was drying
papad in the sun, a local, regional snack made from sundried lentils.
The trek is a good day’s drive between some of the winding roads in the preserve and the incredible scenery. But, each of these places was worth the time.
Wow. Looks like you got see see a lot of lot of stuff in a short time. It must have been especially great to see the local traditions like the ox-powered mill and sun-drying food.
That Jain temple is simply stunning, the craftsmanship is just amazing. Was the food in this area vegan because of the Jain population?
NO, surprisingly the restaurant we ate at in the wildlife preserve was very close and had veg and non-veg foods.
It looks like there is so much to see here! The marble domes are absolutely beautiful and so interesting to see the sesame oil being made.
Thats so great you were able to make some stops on the long journey. We took a bus and watched films, but we would have loved the opportunity to visit Ranakpur Jain Temple. It looks absolutely stunning!
We love the travel group we use ( Gate 1 Travel ) because they always include interesting stops on the bus portions of the tip. Yes, the Jain temple was AMAZING!
Wow the Jain Temple is so intricate! Looks like you could explore there for hours. Looks like a really great journey!
Wow, I am amazed. The architectural detail is breathtaking.
Gosh it all looks so beautiful. I would love to visit the wildlife sanctuary! What animals did they have? And how come they were there?
I think the term animal preserve is misleading… it’s more of a protected national forest. The only animals there are local species, not a collection or zoo.
You guys did a 300-km journey in Rajasthan? You must have loved it! Udaipur is my absolute favorite city there but I had no idea about these temples on the way, especially Shri Om Banna. Indians are Bullet fans but this is a whole other level!
Also I’m from India but I never knew you could make yellow lentil papad! 😮
The Ranakpur Jain Temple looks truly stunning and I would definitely want to see it in real life! I bet there’s so much to discover in the detailed carvings you could easily spend hours there. That motorcycle shrine seems like a very special place as well, what a origin story!
Wow, the detailing on the marble carvings of the Ranakpur temple are so intricate.
FYI, on my 1080p monitor, your social media buttons cover up a large part of the screen and make the text hard to read. See here for an example: https://i.imgur.com/O8R2HEb.jpg
Thank you, we just added the new links yesterday and will take a look. Yes, the details in the temple were incredible!
So beautiful! I love the carvings of the Ranakpur Jain Temple. I think the elephant carving is my favorite!
Rajasthan is incredible. We were on a Rajasthan road trip late last year and visited Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh, both are amazing places.
The detail in Ranakpur Jain Temple is exquisite! What an amazing place to visit. Then you managed to find two other fun stops – it sounds like a great road trip.
Ranakpur jain Temple is really gorgeous. I have been here twice just because of the architecture and the details. Chittorgarh is also a nice place to explore.
Wow the Jain Temple looks so intricate! Looks like such a great stop over, and that property looks so pretty too.
It was pretty amazing and a great stop off on a long bud ride. We wish we had spent more time in the game preserve.
So jealous you guys got to do 2 weeks in India! I spent 5 days in Kochi last year and would love to see more of the country. The carvings in the Ranakpur Jain Temple are so incredible, and I’d love to try that papad. I recognize other varieties from the Wikipedia article you linked to, but I’ve never had one that looks like that!
All things considered ( the impending doom of COVID hanging over our trip) we had an awesome time. The next trip will have to be Southern India, so divers and so much to see. We didn’t get to try any of the papad, it was really unique, they were just laying there drying near the motorcycle shrine and the old man milling sesame seeds.