Sun Temple, Modhera
Encyclopedia
The Sun Temple, Modhera, at Modhera in Gujarat, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu
Sun-God, Surya
. It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki
dynasty. Other Sun Temples in India are as follows: Konark
in Orissa
, Martand in Jammu and Kashmir
near Almora
in Uttarakhand
, Dakshinaarka temple in Gaya, Bihar, Punark and Deo Barunark in Bihar, Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao, Balaji
in Madhya Pradesh
, Sun Temple at Sri Surya Pahar
in Assam
, Suryanaar Temple at Kumbakonam
in Tamil Nadu
, Surya Narayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli
in Andhra Pradesh
.
The Modhera sun temple is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati, 25 km from Mehsana
and 102 km from Ahmedabad
.
and Brahma Purana
, the areas near Modhera were known during ancient days as Dharmaranya (literally meaning the forest of righteousness). According to these Puranas, Lord Rama
, after defeating Ravana
, asked sage Vasistha
to show him a place of pilgrimage where he could go and purify himself from the sin of Brahma-hatya (the sin of killing a Brahmin, because Ravana was a Brahmin
by birth). Sage Vasistha showed him Dharmaranya, which was near the modern town of Modhera. In the Dharmaranya, he settled at a village Modherak and performed a yagna there. Thereafter he established a village and named it Sitapur. This village is about 15 km from Becharaji Modherak village and it subsequently came to be known as Modhera.
The Sun Temple was built by Rushabh Bhimdev I of Solanki
Dynasty in AD 1026. This was the time when Somnath and the adjoining area was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni and reeled under the effects of his invasion. The Solankis, however, regained much of their lost power and splendour. Anahilvad Patan
, the Solanki capital, was restored to glory. Royalty and traders jointly contributed to build grand temples.
Solankis were considered to be Suryavanshis, or descendants of Sun god. The temple was so designed that the first rays of the sun fell on the image of Surya, the Sun God, at the time equinoxes.
The temple is partially in ruins after it was also finally destroyed by the Allauddin Khilji.
However, enough has remained of the temple to convey its grandeur.
The temple comprises three separate but axially-aligned and integrated elements.
The Suryakund is finest example of geometry. The organization of stone into composition gives shape to a dazzling pattern of art. It is proportioned with innumerable stone steps leading devotees down to its base. 108 miniature shrines are carved in between the steps inside the tank. Also number 108 considered to be auspicious by Hindu
s as hindu rosary has same number of beads.
Two Huge ornamental arch called Toran forms a Gate-Way to Sabha Mandap literally meaning assembly hall.
epics of Ramayan, Mahabharat and Krishna
Lila (i.e. story of lord Krishna).
Between the Sabha Mandapa
and the sanctum sanctorum is a beautiful hall with pillars and arches, whose facade has been renovated and partially redone, and the walls have 12 niches showing the different aspects of the Sun God in each month.
s in honour of their ancestral God. It was plundered by Mahmud Gazni.
In the days when temple was built, sex was neither suppressed nor moralized. It was seen as an act that brought about fertility. Hence at this temple a most profound depiction of sexual iconography is displayed, at the exterior walls of the main temple itself.
The objective is to present classical dance forms in an atmosphere they were originally presented in. The festival is organised by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Sun-God, Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
. It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
dynasty. Other Sun Temples in India are as follows: Konark
Konark Sun Temple
Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple , at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty...
in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Martand in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
near Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, Dakshinaarka temple in Gaya, Bihar, Punark and Deo Barunark in Bihar, Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao, Balaji
Unao, Balaji
The Balaji, a famous and rare sun temple of its own unique architecture, is situated in a very small town Unao of Datia district in Madhya Pradesh. The Balaji temple was built in the pre-historic time by the king of Datia.- History and Myth :...
in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Sun Temple at Sri Surya Pahar
Sri Surya Pahar
Sri Surya Pahar, located about 12 km southeast of Goalpara town and about 136 km northwest of Guwahati, is a significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam, India. The site is centered on the hills of Sri Surya which is profusely filled up with Shiva Lingas...
in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Suryanaar Temple at Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Surya Narayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli
Arasavalli
Arasavalli is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the sun god Surya, located near the Srikakulam town of Andhra Pradesh, India...
in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
The Modhera sun temple is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati, 25 km from Mehsana
Mehsana
Mahesana is a city and municipality in Mehsana district, in the Indian state of Gujarat.-City and surrounding area:Situated near Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Mehsana is one of the largest cities in North Gujarat; followed by Patan and Palanpur. A number of primary industries including dairy, oil...
and 102 km from Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
.
History
According to the Skanda PuranaSkanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
and Brahma Purana
Brahma Purana
The Brahma Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. The extant text comprises 246 chapters. It is divided into two parts, namely the Purvabhaga and the Uttarabhaga . The first part narrates the story behind the creation of the cosmos, details the life and...
, the areas near Modhera were known during ancient days as Dharmaranya (literally meaning the forest of righteousness). According to these Puranas, Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, after defeating Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, asked sage Vasistha
Vasistha
Vashist in the seventh, i.e the present Manvantara, and the Rajpurohit / Rajguru of the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty. He was the mānasaputra of Brahma. He had in his possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners...
to show him a place of pilgrimage where he could go and purify himself from the sin of Brahma-hatya (the sin of killing a Brahmin, because Ravana was a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
by birth). Sage Vasistha showed him Dharmaranya, which was near the modern town of Modhera. In the Dharmaranya, he settled at a village Modherak and performed a yagna there. Thereafter he established a village and named it Sitapur. This village is about 15 km from Becharaji Modherak village and it subsequently came to be known as Modhera.
The Sun Temple was built by Rushabh Bhimdev I of Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
Dynasty in AD 1026. This was the time when Somnath and the adjoining area was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni and reeled under the effects of his invasion. The Solankis, however, regained much of their lost power and splendour. Anahilvad Patan
Patan, Gujarat
Patan was a capital of Gujarat in medieval times. It is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and administered by municipality. The city contains many Hindu and Jain temples as well as few mosques, dargahs and rojas...
, the Solanki capital, was restored to glory. Royalty and traders jointly contributed to build grand temples.
Solankis were considered to be Suryavanshis, or descendants of Sun god. The temple was so designed that the first rays of the sun fell on the image of Surya, the Sun God, at the time equinoxes.
The temple is partially in ruins after it was also finally destroyed by the Allauddin Khilji.
However, enough has remained of the temple to convey its grandeur.
Architecture
The Sun temple is of a unique architecture of its own kind.The temple comprises three separate but axially-aligned and integrated elements.
- Surya Kund, which is an intricately carved, stepped tank named after Sun god Surya.
- Sabha Mandap, which is a hall used for religious gatherings and conferences.
- Guda Mandap, i.e. sanctum sanctorum, which once housed the idol of Sun God.
Surya Kund
This Suryakunda also known as Ramakunda is a large rectangular stepped tank measuring 53.6 x 36.6 meters under the east face of sabhamandap used to store pure water. Devotees were required to perform ceremonial ablutions here before worshiping the Sun God.The Suryakund is finest example of geometry. The organization of stone into composition gives shape to a dazzling pattern of art. It is proportioned with innumerable stone steps leading devotees down to its base. 108 miniature shrines are carved in between the steps inside the tank. Also number 108 considered to be auspicious by Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s as hindu rosary has same number of beads.
Reservoir Deities
There are four terraces to descend in order to reach the bottom of the tank. Small pyramid shaped steps are for each terrace. God & Goddess depicted in immortalized stone, unfold the sculpture wealth. Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesh, Lord Natraj, Sitlamata presence a marvel created during Solanki era.Two Huge ornamental arch called Toran forms a Gate-Way to Sabha Mandap literally meaning assembly hall.
Sabha Mandap
This hall of religious gatherings is a magnificent pillared hall. It is open from all sides and has 52 intricately carved pillars representing 52 weeks in a year. The carvings depict various episodes from the HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epics of Ramayan, Mahabharat and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
Lila (i.e. story of lord Krishna).
Between the Sabha Mandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
and the sanctum sanctorum is a beautiful hall with pillars and arches, whose facade has been renovated and partially redone, and the walls have 12 niches showing the different aspects of the Sun God in each month.
Sanctum Sanctorum
This is called the main temple or the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Lotus opens with sunrise and closes itself with sunset. Hence, it is considered to be sun's flower. The entire temple is therefore based on an inverted lotus-base plinth. It was designed such that the rays of the rising and setting sun on the day of equinox (length of day and night is nearly equal - 20 March and 21 September generally), fell on the bejeweled pure gold idol of Sun riding on his chariot driven by Saarthi Arun. Sun's chariot has 7 horses and Saarthi Arun sits on the 4th horse. The entire idol made of gold (including the charioteer,chariot and horses) was placed on a pit that was 15 feet deep and filled with gold coins. It was built by the SolankiSolanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
s in honour of their ancestral God. It was plundered by Mahmud Gazni.
Exterior
The exterior of the temple walls has 12 different postures of Adityas - Sun God along with eight Dikpals, Lord Vishwakarma - who constructed Golden Dwarka city for Shri Krishna, Varundev - God of Air, Agnidev - God of Fire, Ganesh - God for starting, Mata Saraswati - Goddess of Education & Wisdom. Also seen Samundramanthan.Erotic Sculptures
Even today to talk of sex in sacred place is akin to religious blasphemy. All important religious sects of the country like Hinduism, Buddhism, & Jainism have presented erotic motifs in their art .In the days when temple was built, sex was neither suppressed nor moralized. It was seen as an act that brought about fertility. Hence at this temple a most profound depiction of sexual iconography is displayed, at the exterior walls of the main temple itself.
Modhera Dance Festival
To create the enchantment and splendor of our ancient history and rich cultural traditions; Modhera dance festival is scheduled to be held during the third week of January every year, after the festival of Uttarayan for three days in the backdrop of the Sun temple. Renowned Indian artist perform here and enthrall the audience.The objective is to present classical dance forms in an atmosphere they were originally presented in. The festival is organised by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat.