Many significant civilizations and cultures lived in ancient India. In Hindu holy writings, there are various legends of old gods and monarchs that have a solid connection to other ancient societies. Great brains and mighty rulers ruled across ancient India, and the country was blessed with them. It has a long history that is impossible to cover in a single article.
The ancient Sun Temple in Gujarat, India, is one of the most magnificent and intricate works of art. The temple is devoted to the Hindu Sun God “Surya” near the Pushpavati River.
Lord Rama (Hindu god) wished to cleanse himself for ‘Brahma-hatya’ after rescuing his bride from Raavana’s captivity and murdering him, according to an old Hindu narrative (the sin of killing a Brahmin). Muni Vasistha then took him to a location in Modhera (a Gujarat hamlet) where the Sun Temple presently stands.
The temple was built by the Solanki dynasty’s King Bhima I. The sun deity Surya was considered a direct descendent of this dynasty’s representatives. As a result, Bhima resolved to build a temple to honor God Surya. Bhima lavished gold and other valuable stones on the Sun Temple. As a result, Muslim invading forces stormed the temple, plundering all valuables and partially destroying it. Despite countless efforts to demolish the temple, it still stands, displaying its beauty to the rest of the globe.
Colonel Monier-Williams, a British officer, unearthed the old location and broadcast the news throughout the Western world.
The temple is constructed on a lotus-shaped foundation, considered sacred in Hinduism. The temple complex is made up of three primary components:
– The Surya Kund, a purification pool; – The assembly rooms (Sabha Mandapa), which were used for religious meetings and conferences; – On the day of the summer solstice, the sun’s dawn and dusk rays are said to illuminate the hall where God Surya’s idol used to live.
The attackers, however, smashed the idol.
Devotees had to bathe in Surya Kund before proceeding through the arch to the Sabha Mandap Square for any religious function. There were 108 little shrines devoted to Hindu gods and goddesses around the pool.
According to some accounts, the Sun temple had a subterranean tube connected to the Solanki Empire’s capital, the city of Patan, from whence all of the temple’s virtual objects were relocated to protect them from invasion.
The whole Modhera temple is carved out of soft yellow sandstone, exposing the old artisans’ talent to the public. The temple’s walls and pillars feature images from the Ramayana, which depicts the human life cycle and flowers and animals. The Surya temple remains impressive despite years of deterioration and destruction.
