A visit to Sun temple, Modhera

The River Pushpavati flows through the sacred grounds of this temple, encircled by lush green trees and nature’s beauty. Dedicated to Lord Surya – The God of Sun – it is protected as one of India’s most important archaeological sites under Army authorities who oversee preservation efforts in addition to those carried out by Local People with great care for its well-being at all times! 2014 saw UNESCO list these revered ruins among their World Heritage Sites which is an honor few can claim.

So last weekend we decided to visit the Sun Temple, Modhera. Everything we had heard about it suggested experiencing the sunrise at the temple. We decided to leave from Ahmedabad at 5AM. The distance we had to cover was about 96Kms, we took approximately 1hr 30mins to get there.

The Sun temple, Modhera

We reached the temple by 6:30AM, and though the temple opens at 7AM. The surrounding was picturesque. Something worth mentioning here is the efforts of Gujarat tourism, Clean surrounding, ample place to sit, and most unexpected – there were charging points for Electric Vehicles. Kudos! To Gujarat Tourism for promoting use of EVs.

We got entry to the temple at 7AM, and it was a sight. We were awestruck at the beauty of the architecture. The temple consisted of 3 main parts  – Surya Kund, Guda Mandapa, Sabha Mandapa.

Surya Kund 

The Surya Kund, also known as Rama Kund is a stepwell-styled water tank or reservoir that marks the start of temple. Covering an area 21000 sq ft and having 108 temples on its stairs making it more striking than other structures in Vijaynagara architecture genre. These large tanks were built for bathing before entering main shrine where devotees worshiped their respective deities by taking holy dip here. The Step Well has two parts one at top level while lower levels have several cubical rooms along with steps leading down into them from all four sides allowing visitors access both up or coming down from upper terrace towards second tier

Guda Mandapa

The Guda Mandapa can enthrall visitors thanks to its lotus-shaped base. It was constructed in a way that the idol used to get first rays of sun, and it features carvings on walls with figures such as God Surya being worshiped by dancers around him while other gods and goddesses sit side by side making offerings at his feet – some commemorate birth while others remind us of our inevitable death. Alongside these exquisite works are musicians playing their instruments during festivals or scenes from epics: Ramayana & Mahabharata!

Sabha Mandapa 

The Sabha Mandapa or the Assembly Hall is open on all sides and has an octagonal shape. This was used for public meetings, religious functions, councils with royalty in Modhera Sun Temple’s Solanki Dynasty era- it also served as their performance space! The roof of this magnificent structure back 52 brilliantly carved pillars that represent different weeks within a year; there are sights from Mahabharata, Ramayana and Krishna Leela.

The Temple has deities in 8 directions 

• East – Indra or Lord of Rains
• North-East – Rudra, a form of Lord Shiva
• South-East – Agni or Lord of Fire
• North – Kubera, the Lord of Wealth
• North-West – Vayu or Lord of Air
• West – Varun or Lord of Water
• South-West – Nairiti – a form of Lord Shiva
• South – Yama, God of death

The Route –

The Sun Temple Gujarat – Entry Fees

• 25 INR for Indians
• 300 INR for Foreigners
• Free entry for children below 15 years

Overall the visit was an eye opener to the amount of beauty we have in Gujarat, its rich cultural heritage and learning for Khrishang to understand how advanced Hinduism was centuries ago. We spent about 3 hours at the temple, mesmerised by every aspect of the temple. The sunrise was magnificent, (best enjoyed from behind the temple, as the sun rises above it).