Modhera Sun Temple

Table of Contents

Modhera Sun Temple- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 1: Indian History- Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Recently, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited the Surya Mandir in Modhera, Gujarat.
He also visited Modheshwari Mata Temple in Modhera, Gujarat and performed darshan and pooja.

Shri Modi inaugurated Heritage Lighting at Surya Mandir which makes it the first heritage site in India to be powered solely by solar energy.
- He also inaugurated the 3D Projection Mapping of Modhera Sun Temple.
Earlier, he had laid the foundation stone and dedicated multiple projects worth over Rs 3900 crore in Modhera, Mehsana in Gujarat.
- The Prime Minister also declared Modhera as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village.

About: The Sun temple at Modhera is the most important of all sun-temples built in the whole of Gujarat. Modhera Sun Temple is an excellent example of medieval temple art and architecture of India.

Modhera Sun Temple enjoys the same significance as other two well known sun-temples in Kashmir (Martand) and Orissa (Konark).

- The remains of this magnificent architectural monument still reflect the glimpses of elegance and testify the sanctity of the site.
Historical Background: Modhera or Modherapura also known as Mundera is said to have been the original settlement of modha Brahmans.
- Having its legendary past relating to the Ramayana it is further believed that modha Brahmans received Modhera as a krsnarpana on the occasion of the marriage of Rama and Sita.
Construction of the Modhera Sun Temple: This famous sun temple was constructed to the west of Pushpavati river probably in 1026-27 A.D. during the reign of Chalukya King Bhima I (1022-1063 A.D.)
Geographical Loaction of Modhera: Once a flourishing town and seaport, Modhera stands 24 km south of Anahitapataka (Patan) on the left bank of Pushpavati river.

The whole structure standing on a kharasila (basement) consisted of the garbhagrha (shrines) and guha-mandapa (a hall), a Sabha-mandapa or ranga-mandapa (assembly hall or outer hall/theatre hall), locally known as Sita Chavadi.
In front of the temple is the kunda (sacred pond) now called the Ramakunda. Originally, there were some small subsidiary shrines, which have been destroyed.
The general structure of main body of the temple enclosing the mandapa (hall) and garbhagrha (sanctum sanctorum) is rectangular, with its length inside the walls 51 feet 9 inches which is almost exactly double of its width of 25 feet and 8 inches.
Thus the total area of about 1275 sq.ft is divided into nearly two equal halves. The inner half occupies the garbhagrha and the front of the mandapa (hall).
The sanctum sanctorum is 11 feet square inside. Between the outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum and that of the temple is the pradakshina-marga or bhrama (the circumambulatory passage).