Lay Followers
Dharnashah and Ranakpur
धरणाशाह और राणकपुर · ધરણાશા અને રાણકપુર
A merchant dreams of a heavenly palace and spends his life building it in stone
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Dharnashah, a Jain minister in Mewar, sees a shining celestial palace in a dream and cannot forget it. He searches for someone who can build it, and the result is one of the most wonderful temples on earth.
What it teaches Devotion Perseverance Generosity Beauty
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago in Rajasthan there lived a kind man named Dharnashah. He loved Lord Rishabhdev, the very first Tirthankar. He prayed to him every day.
One night Dharnashah had a wonderful dream. He saw a shining palace from the heavens. It had many rooms, many domes and lots and lots of pillars. In the middle sat the Lord, looking out in all four directions. He wanted to make it so everyone could see it too.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A dream becomes a gift to the world when we work patiently to share it.
To talk about together
If you could build something beautiful for everyone to enjoy, what would it be?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.