Rangnath temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan, was built in 1823 AD.
The beautiful ornate shrine is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple has murtis
of Goddess Lakshmi and other manifestations of Vishnu Bhagavan. Prominent among
them are Venugopal and Narasimha. The temple is located to the north of Pushkar
Lake.
The shrine is located in a huge complex. The temple is a
perfect amalgam of South Indian and Rajasthani style of architecture.
There are a total of seven shrines inside the Rangnath
Temple and each has a Shikhara of its own.
The main temple is known as Nij mandir and it has a south Indian
style gopuram. A golden Garuda Dwaja Stambha is located inside the gopuram.
The Nij Mandir Complex has three shrines dedicated to Sri Krishna,
Ranganatha of Srirangam, and Sri Ramanujacharya. On the two sides of the main
platforms are murtis of Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Godammaji. A statue
Anantachariji Maharaj the man who inspired to build the temple is also found in
the sanctum sanctorum. All five shrines have Dravidian style shikhara and the and
the mandapa in front of the sanctum is decorated in nagara style.
The Nij Mandir complex is fortified by wall which is decorated
by chhatris and jharokhas with fresco paintings. Paintings and carvings in the temple
are based on Sri Krishna Lila, Ramayan, Churning of Ocean and stories from
Puranas.
Rare Vimanas and Chattras (umbrellas) are displayed during important
festival and rituals. The vahanas or vehicles on which the presiding deity
comes include Hanuman, Garuda, Surya, Chandra, Elephant and Horse.