99 kms from Ahmedabad, the 11th century Sun
temple of Modhera is easily one of the finest
examples of devotional architecture in western
India. Built by the Solanki Rajput kings, with
the aid of donations from the people, the temple
features carved torana arches mounted on kirti
stambhas (pillars of victory) as the entrances,
a large rectangular stepped with 108 smaller
shrines, an exquisite 52 pillared portico, beautiful
domed central portion and a sanctum sanctoruim
designed so that the sun light fell on the bejewelled
statue of the God, specially at sunrise during
the equinox. The exterior of temple is carved
with traditional erotic scenes, rivalling at
Konark and Khajurao, and depictions of various
Gods and, while inside are friezes of the Mahabharata
and portrayed on the pillars. The temple is
framed by a well garden, and sits on the banks
of river Pushpawati. .
Sun temple in night
The temple was built in 1026 AD by
Raja Bhimdev solanki, The silavat stone masons, who
did not make any designs on paper but followed certain
hereditary principals of architecture and astronomy,
and using simple carving tools, they had an amazing
ability to make the hardest stone take on the quality
of delicate wood carving, as amply demonstrated in the
marble temples of Dilwara and the sandstone mansions
of Jaisalmer. Their crafts were well guarded secrets,
passed on only from father to son, and being secular
by nature, they also worked on some of the fabulous
Indo-Saracenic mosques of the Ahmed Shahi sultanate
in Ahmedabad, combining Islamic architecture with plenty
of Hinduistic ornamantation.
Sun temple, Modhera
The Sun temple is not very large or as imposing
as may be supposed by those who have seen other
Hindu temples in India, but even from a distance
it is obvious that it is covered by intricate
carvings of Gods, Goddesses, men, women and animals
in numbers out of all proportion to its actual
size, and is a true gem in the architectural annals
of India. The whole is outclassed by the incredible
rectangular step tank or Surya kund, a majestic
100 sq meter rectangular pond, with interesting
shrines, said to total 108 in all, the auspicious
number of flowers on a garlandLarger shrines to
Vishnu, Ganesha and the Natraja incarnation of
Shiva in Tandav stand on 3 sides of the Surya
Kund, with the Sabha mandap of the principal temple
soaring on the fourth side, to remind you that
this is the domain of the Sun God.
