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Ghanerao: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Ghanerao lies in Godwar, a strip of land at the foot of the Aravallis that Mewar and Marwar fought over for centuries. The traders of Godwar were Jains, and with their wealth they filled the region with temples, from small village shrines to Ranakpur, one of the greatest Jain buildings in India. This route starts in Ghanerao, visits the temple with a moustache in the forest and goes on to Ranakpur, then north to two old villages of the plain. About 80 km by car, a full day with time in Ranakpur; non-Jains are let in only from around noon.

The ten best sights in Ghanerao

  1. 1
    Ghanerao village

    A walled village of a castle and many Jain temples; walk it slowly in the late afternoon

  2. 2
    Muchhal Mahavir Temple

    Five km south at the edge of the forest; the image of Mahavira here has a moustache

  3. Ranakpur Temple
    3
    Ranakpur Temple

    Opens to non-Jains around midday; leather, food and shorts stay outside, and the audio guide is worth it

  4. Kumbhalgarh Fort
    4
    Kumbhalgarh Fort

    Walk a stretch of the wall at sunset; the light and sound show is in the evening

  5. 5
    Parshuram Mahadev Cave Temple

    A Shiva shrine in a cave reached by a long flight of steps through the forest; bring water

  6. Rawla Narlai
    6
    Rawla Narlai

    An old royal lodge in Narlai village, now a hotel, 9 km north

  7. 7
    Nadol

    A village that was a Chauhan capital; its Ashapura Mata temple is busy at Navratri

  8. Pagaliji Deri
    8
    Pagaliji Deri

    A small shrine with carved footprints in the Ranakpur complex

  9. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
    9
    Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

    The forest between Ghanerao and Kumbhalgarh; walk it only with a guide from the castle or the forest office

  10. Jawai Dam
    10
    Jawai Dam

    A big reservoir 40 km west, with crocodiles and, in winter, flamingos

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Ghanerao →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ghanerao:

The Jain country of Godwar

Free walking tours in Ghanerao

The Jain country of Godwar

Ghanerao lies in Godwar, a strip of land at the foot of the Aravallis that Mewar and Marwar fought over for centuries. The traders of Godwar were Jains, and with their wealth they filled the region with temples, from small village shrines to Ranakpur, one of the greatest Jain buildings in India. This route starts in Ghanerao, visits the temple with a moustache in the forest and goes on to Ranakpur, then north to two old villages of the plain. About 80 km by car, a full day with time in Ranakpur; non-Jains are let in only from around noon.

  1. Ghanerao village · Ghanerao was a thikana, the estate of a Rathore noble family, and its castle in the middle of the village is still the family's home and a small hotel. The village is also the start of the old footpath through the forest up to Kumbhalgarh.
  2. Muchhal Mahavir Temple · Muchh means moustache. The legend says a ruler visiting the temple found a hair in the offering and mocked the priest, who swore it came from the image; when the king looked, Mahavira had grown a moustache — the only one of its kind among Jain images.
  3. Ranakpur Temple · The temple to Adinath was begun in 1437 by the merchant Dharna Shah, on land given by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, after a dream of a heavenly vehicle. Its hall stands on 1,444 carved marble pillars, and no two are alike.
  4. Pagaliji Deri · A pagaliya is a pair of carved footprints, the Jain sign of a tirthankara or a teacher who walked here. Small shrines like this one hold them on a stone slab, and pilgrims bow to the feet rather than to an image.
  5. Rawla Narlai · A rawla is the residence of a noble in a village. This one was used by the royal family of Jodhpur as a hunting lodge, below a granite hill crowned by a white statue of an elephant.
  6. Nadol · In the 10th century Nadol became the capital of a branch of the Chauhans, the same clan that later ruled Ajmer and Delhi. Their family goddess, Ashapura Mata, "she who fulfils hopes", still has her temple here.

Kumbhalgarh, the great wall of Mewar

On the ridge above Ghanerao stands Kumbhalgarh, the fortress Rana Kumbha of Mewar built in the 15th century to guard his kingdom's western passes. Its wall runs for some 36 km over the hills, and it was the refuge of the Mewar kings in their worst times. From Ghanerao you can walk up through the forest with a guide in about four hours, or drive round by Desuri. This route takes in the forest, a cave shrine, the fort and its temples. A full day; on foot, start at dawn and arrange the car to bring you back.

  1. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary · The forest on these slopes is one of the few places in Rajasthan where the Indian wolf still lives, alongside leopards, sloth bears and four-horned antelope. The sanctuary was declared in 1971 around the old hunting forests of Mewar.
  2. Parshuram Mahadev Cave Temple · Tradition says the sage Parashurama, the axe-bearing incarnation of Vishnu, cut this cave into the rock with his axe and meditated here to Shiva. The natural cave holds a lingam, and water drips from its ceiling all year.
  3. Kumbhalgarh Fort · Maharana Pratap, the Mewar king who refused to submit to Akbar, was born in this fort in 1540. The fort is said to have fallen only once, in 1578, when the Mughal army cut off its water.
  4. Kumbhalgarh palace · The palace at the summit is called Badal Mahal, the palace of the clouds, because at over 1,000 metres the monsoon clouds roll through its rooms. From its terraces you can see across the Thar on one side and the Mewar hills on the other.
  5. Kumbhalgarh Jain temples · Inside the walls stand some 360 temples, most of them Jain, built by the merchants who lived under the fort's protection. Many are ruined, and a few are still in use.

Leopards of the granite hills

West of Ghanerao the forest gives way to a plain broken by bare granite hills, and here a strange thing happens: leopards live among the villages, in caves above the fields, and the Rabari herders below have lived alongside them for generations. The reservoir of the Jawai dam waters the whole area. This route crosses the plain through Falna to the dam and the leopard hills. About 100 km each way via Sadri and Falna, a long afternoon; book a jeep drive in advance and be at the hills an hour before sunset.

  1. Falna · Falna is a market town of Jain merchants, and many families from here went to Mumbai and Chennai to trade. Their money built a gold-plated Jain temple in the town, known locally as the golden temple.
  2. Jawai Dam · Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur began the dam in 1946 and it was finished in 1957, the largest in western Rajasthan. Mugger crocodiles live in the reservoir, and in winter it draws flamingos and cranes.
  3. Jawai leopard hills · The leopards here rarely attack people: the Rabari see them as protected by their temples on the hills, and they accept the loss of some goats. Dozens of leopards live in the area.
  4. Bera · Bera is the village at the heart of the leopard country. The Rabari here dress in white with red turbans, and the women in black, and they move their herds of goats, sheep and camels across these hills as their families always have.
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Getting to Ghanerao and getting around

  • Falna railway station · The best-served station, 30 km west, on the Ahmedabad–Jaipur line; arrange the pickup in advance
  • Rani railway station · A smaller station on the same line, a little closer to Ghanerao
  • Sadri bus station · Buses to Ranakpur, Udaipur and Falna; Ghanerao itself is served only by local jeeps

Cheap eats in Ghanerao

Ghanerao has no restaurants of its own beyond the castle, so quick food means the temple and fort towns around it. Godwar eats the vegetarian food of its Jain merchants — dal baati, kadhi, thalis with millet roti and buttermilk — and across the hills the Gujarati influence adds a sweet touch. Meals are cheap: a full thali usually costs between 100 and 250 rupees.

  • Ranakpur temple bhojanshala · The temple dining hall serves a Jain thali at lunch for a small fee, about ₹100-150
  • La Pizzeria · Pizza and pasta on the Ranakpur road, about ₹250-450
  • Gujrat Restaurant · Thali in Kelwara, below Kumbhalgarh, about ₹120-250
  • Vrindavan Vasudev · Vegetarian plates in Kelwara, about ₹100-200
  • Little Restaurant · Snacks and chai on the Kumbhalgarh road, about ₹50-150

Museums in Ghanerao

  • Ranakpur Temple · The marble hall of 1,444 pillars; the carved ceilings are the museum
  • Kumbhalgarh Fort · The fort and its evening light and sound show on Mewar’s history
  • Rawla Narlai · The old hunting lodge, with its rooms and courtyards

Nature and day trips near Ghanerao

  • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary · Forest trails between Ghanerao and the fort; go with a guide
  • Jawai Dam · Crocodiles, flamingos and cranes on a big reservoir
  • Jawai leopard hills · Leopards on granite domes above the fields, best at dusk
  • Parshuram Mahadev Cave Temple · A forest walk and steps to a cave in the hills

Things to do in Ghanerao with kids

  • Muchhal Mahavir Temple · Find the only Mahavira with a moustache
  • Kumbhalgarh Fort · Walk on top of one of the longest walls in the world
  • Ranakpur Temple · Grey langur monkeys sit around the temple grounds
  • Jawai leopard hills · An open-jeep drive to look for leopards on the rocks

Where to eat in Ghanerao

  • Fateh Bagh · Palace hotel at Ranakpur; Rajasthani dinner in the courtyard
  • Rawla Narlai · Dinner in the lodge garden, or on the step-well with lamps if booked
  • The Aodhi · Hotel restaurant just below Kumbhalgarh Fort
  • Casa Manolo · A small home-style restaurant south of Ranakpur
  • Ranakpur Hill Resort · Buffet lunch near the temple, used by many tour groups
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Frequently asked questions about Ghanerao

What is there to see in Ghanerao?

The top sights in Ghanerao are Ghanerao village, Muchhal Mahavir Temple and Ranakpur Temple. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ghanerao?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ghanerao without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Ghanerao?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ghanerao, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Jain country of Godwar.

How do you get to Ghanerao and get around?

The main ways are Falna railway station, Rani railway station and Sadri bus station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ghanerao, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ghanerao that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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