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and marble archways. Ghanerao and its vicinity abound in temples, both Hindu and Jain. There are about eleven Jain temples (a few of them quite old) in the village itself. Besides these, there are temples of Laxmi Narainji, Murlidhai and Chabhiya. On its outskirts, there is a temple of Mahadev. The temple of Gajanand is worth seeing for its enormous statue, which is flanked by goddesses Ridhi and Siddhi, guarded by Hanuman on one side and Bhairon on the other.
SITES NEARBY
About five km from Ghanerao is the temple of Muchhal Mahavir in the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary. It is a Jain temple known and said to be a contemporary of the Ranakpur temples. It is the only Jain temple in which the statue of Lord Mahavir has been depicted with a moustache. There are many local legends attached to it. The two statues of elephants on the gate of the temple are beautiful pieces of sculpture.
In the vicinity of this temple, there are few villages of Garasia tribals. The attire of these tribals is supposed to be the most colorful amongst all the tribals of India. Two or three days after the festival of Holi, they perform a grand group dance on the platform of the temple.
Kumbhalgarh, situated around 18 km away, has a fort built by the ruler of Mewar, Rana Kumbha and hence the name. It was the second most important bastion of Mewar after Chittaurgarh. Within the fort are some interesting temples. Badal Mahal or the Palace of Clouds is worth a visit and the Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary is spread over 500 sq km with more than 150 varieties of animals and birds.
Narali is situated around 30 km off Ghanerao. There are a number of old temples and it is a major pilgrim centre for the Jains. It lies at the base of a hillock, on the top of which is a colossal statue of an elephant. One of the temples on the hillock is dedicated to Baijnath Mahadev and the other to Hinglaj Mata. On another hillock, there is a temple dedicated to Neminath. In the village, the temple of Adinath is said to be very old. The outer mandap, on its ceiling has mural paintings, which though over 200 years old, have retained their original luster and color. The other temples in the village are Tapeshwar Mahadev, Charbuja and Adinath temples.
THINGS TO DO
The best thing to do while in Ghanerao is to venture out for a horse or Jeep Safari. There is enough in this region, with its heritage and wildlife, that can make the day for the tourists looking for adventure.
WHERE TO STAY
There are reasonable numbers of hotels including some heritage hotels. Heritage hotels can be a good option for the tourists looking for an experience of royalty and grandeur of the past.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
The nearest airport is at Udaipur, around 110 km away.
By Rail
Falna, at a distance of 30 km, is the nearest railhead connected to Udaipur and other places in Rajasthan.
By Road
Ghanerao is well connected through a good network of roads with the other places in the region.
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