JOIN USThe place is not on my itinerary. I have to head south from Ahmedabad when a close traveller-friend suggests that I travel 100 km north instead, towards Mehsana and then the village of Modhera, where the majestic Sun Temple stands on the banks of River Pushpavati.
Here, the sun rises every day to fill the arches of the shrine, as if to venerate its energy and vitality. The shrine was built by the great Solanki rulers as a rest house. This temple and the Sun temples at Konark (Orissa) and Martand (Kashmir) form a spiritual trio.
The glimpse of the artistically carved Sun Temple brings back the lost culture, art and spaces of another time. Legends narrate that after vanquishing Ravana, Lord Rama performed a yajna (sacrifice) here to absolve the sin of killing a Brahmin (Ravana was a Brahmin by birth). Rama built the city of Modherak, which subsequently came to be known as Modhera.
But history says that Modhera’s place of worship was built as a grand offering to God under the patronage of Suryavanshi king Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty.
The golden period of Gujarat is reflected in the temple’s architectural adroitness. The exteriors of the temple have ornate carvings, and they stand on a base that resembles an inverted lotus. For an architecture lover like me, the temple appears as a learning centre.
Walking along a cobbled lane flanked by green lawns, I see weather-battered pieces of stone idols piled together, a museum on the left and two axially aligned carved structures on the right — these are the Sabha and Guda Mandaps. The temple complex has one more integrated structure apart from these two, the Surya Kund, a rectangular stepped tank. The kund and the passageway face east to welcome sun rays, and the entire structure floats on a plinth, resembling a flowering lotus — a tribute to Sun god.
The Surya Kund is also axially aligned with the two mandaps. Twice every year, on the days of March and September equinoxes, sun rays glide over Surya Kund, pass through the arches of the music hall, pierce the entrance to the main chamber or Guda Mandap, and illuminate the sanctum sanctorum, where the idol once stood.
A flight of stairs from Surya Kund takes me to a toran, or a pair of tall stone pillars forming a gateway (actually an archway with the arch missing), that leads to the Sabha Mandap. As I enter this place, a whole book of architecture opens before me, which would make one wonder at the engineering of the bygone era. The Sabha Mandap is an octagonal structure with 52 pillars (equal to the number of weeks in a year) with carvings depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
I then enter the Guda Mandap that houses the main idol room. It is peristylar with an octagonal nave beneath the dome. The plain walls are more than compensated. The inside walls are bare but are broken by niches in each bay with idols of Sun god.
The garbhagruha is sealed as it opens to a deep trench, which according to popular belief was filled with gold coins and on it sat the gold idol of Arka Deva on his chariot of eight horses. On the left side of the passage lies a hidden doorway to a tunnel that supposedly leads to Rani Ki Vav in Patan, some 25 km from the temple.
Reservoir deities
The structure of the temple tank has an interesting interplay of geometric patterns laced with pyramidal stairs that takes one down to reach the reserve of water. The images of hundreds of miniature shrines carved in between the steps of the tank on four levels leave me in awe of the artistes’ skill. These shrines together create an image of a self-contained universe of spirituality.
As I go down, step to step, rather terrace to terrace interlinked by steps, I am astounded by the reflection of these beautiful shrines in the green waters below. Though in ruins, the temple retains its grandeur. I call my traveller-friend as I come out of the temple to thank him for making me change my plan.
Fact file
Accommodation
A guest house is available in the vicinity of the temple.
Must-see
A three-day-long classical dance festival in January, organised by the Tourism Department of Gujarat, is not to be missed. The Sabha Mandap is used for the performances, and renowned artistes from the world over grace the festival.