A couple of hours of soothing 102 KMs drive from Ahmedabad amidst the greenery
brought us to The Sun Temple, Modhera
situated on the banks of river Pushpavati a temple dedicated to the Hindu Sun God,
Surya. It was built during the rule of
the Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD by King Bhima. The Solankis were considered to
be Suryavanshi Gurjars or descendants of the Sun God. The Solanki era is also well
known as the Golden Age of Gujarat for its art, sculpture and magnificent
carved temples and step wells. The temple is a classic example of the material
aspect of Solanki architecture namely the mastery over the elegantly intricate
carvings of stone and the judicious use of lime mortar. The Sun Temple at Modhera enjoys
the parity of connotation with the
Sun temples at Konark in Orissa and Martand in Kashmir. The Modhera Temple is situated
on the Tropic of Cancer and the noteworthy technological splendor of the Modhera temple architecture
is the planned engineering based on the planetary position of the planets and
the Sun. The main temple or the sanctum is designed focusing on the rays of
rising and setting Sun during Equinox, an astronomical event in which the imaginary plane of
Earth’s equator passes the center of the Sun making night and day of equal length all over the planet. The way the edifice of the temple is
structured it ensured on the days of Equinox the soft linear rays of Sun
showered it with illumination.
As one enters the well maintained and manicured lawns of the
Sun Temple complex, a large rectangular steeped tank with inestimable number of
stone steps proportioned into an astounding pattern of geometric design greet
the visitors. The kund and the entrance passageway face eastward in an aura of welcome to the rays of the sun and the entire structure
floats on a plinth resembling a flowering lotus as an ablution to the Sun God. A
closer look inside the tank reveals 108 miniature shrines carved in between the
steps dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Sheetala Mata and many others. This is the Suryakunda
alias Ramakunda, which in yester years
was stored with pure water and the devotees performed the ceremonial ablutions here before worshipping
the Sun God.
In front of
the Surya Kunda, a huge 'torana' (archway) leads the way to the Sabha Mandap.The
view of the Sabha Mandap is breathtaking and a photographers delight, with
ornately and intricately carved pillars
and ceiling. It is open from all sides and has 52 pillars, each representing a
week in a year. The carvings depict episodes from the Hindu epics of Ramayana,
Mahabharata and Krishna and forms of Gods and Goddesses and the way of life of
the people of that time. Between Sabha Mandap and the sanctum sanctorum is a
beautiful hall with pillars and arches. The walls have 12 niches showing the
different aspects of the Sun God in each month.
From the Sabha Mandap we
moved in the Guda Mandap, the erstwhile main temple or the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The entire temple is based on a plinth built like an a inverted lotus base. The
lotus flower opens at sunrise and close at sunset and is considered a Sun
flower. It was
designed so that the rays of the rising and setting sun on the day of summer
solstice fell on the idol of Sun riding on his seven horses chariot driven by
charioteer Saarthi Arun. It was built by the Solanki Dynasty in honour of their
ancestral God. It is believed that the pit where the gold idol was placed was
filled with god coins up to a depth of 15 feet .
Most of the religions of India present erotic motifs in their art, which is perceived an act that brought about fertility. Here too at the exterior walls of the Guda Mandap, a profound depiction of sexual iconography is displayed. The carved walls also depict the aspects of human life like the vicious circle of birth and death.
The Sun Temple experienced the plundering by the likes of Mahmud Gazni and Allauddin Khilji but the remains of this magnificent architectural monument still reflect the glimpses of elegance and testify the sanctity of the site. Today there is no religious activity or idols to pay ones obeisance but a stroll around the 11th century temple grounds makes one aware of the positive energy the place radiates and is indeed a must visit place for lovers of nature and architectural marvels of ancient India.
