Sixteen years after retiring from teaching, I visited India for a tour of Rajasthan and saw the Adinatha temple at Ranakpur, which transformed my perspective on Western architecture.

WSJ: Enlightenment on an Intimate Scale | The Adinatha Temple at Ranakpur | Masterpiece by James S. Ackerman

At Ranakpur, I was enthralled by the way the temple embraces its visitors with a variety of intimate and inviting environments, in contrast to the focused authority of the Western basilica.

WSJ: Enlightenment on an Intimate Scale | The Adinatha Temple at Ranakpur | Masterpiece by James S. Ackerman

My response to Ranakpur led me to examine the limitations of my approach to architecture and, for the first time, the history of the interaction of narrative and architecture in Western religious buildings.

WSJ: Enlightenment on an Intimate Scale | The Adinatha Temple at Ranakpur | Masterpiece by James S. Ackerman