Modhera Sun Temple

The Modhera Sun Temple is a temple or religious place of worship for believers and followers of Hinduism dedicated to the Sun God and it stands iconic on the banks of the river Pushpavati much in allignment to the Sun temple in Konark which stands overlooking the Bay of Bengal coastline of Puri. The Sun Temple in Modhera is situated in a village by the same name in the Mehsana district in the state of Gujarat in India.

The construction of the beautiful Sun temple of Modhera was overseen by its supreme patron the King Bhima 1 during whose reign the temple was built from scratch. King Bhima 1 of the Chalukya Dynasty ruled over this region in the early eleventh century BC and it was under his watchful supervision that the temple construction was completed from 1026 to 27 CE. The temple although is believed to have been built much earlier and 1026-27 CE the date unearthed from an inscription in the wall of the temple is believed to be commemorative of the date the temple was rebuilt. This is derived from the fact that the inscription in the temple was placed upside down.

History enlightens us that Sun temple was said to witness pillage and plunders under the invasion of Mohammed Ghazni. When Ghazni had to face retaliation and hence retreated, Bhima 1 ordered reconstruction of the temple after he came back to power after successfully stopping Ghazni's invasion. However presently the temple is in a very delicate and fragile condition and is not actively in operation anymore. The Archaeological Survey of India or ASI have undertaken the responsibility for the temple site and have made efforts towards restoration and preservation of this heritage monument. The Modhera Sun temple is no longer an active place of worship and is now a protected monument of national and global interest.

History of Modhera Sun Temple
Modhera traces its origins beyond history and figures in the realms of Hindu mythology. The region finds mention in the Puranas, including the Skanda Purana and the Brahma Purana. The region of Modhera which had the ancient names of Mundera and Modherapura is believed to have been the original settlement of Modha Brahmins. The area was also referred to as Dharmaranya during the Treta Yuga. According to Skanda Purana, after Rama slew the demon Ravana, he needed to atone for the sin of killing a Brahmin as Ravana was a Brahmin. He approached the Sage Vashishta who counselled him to do penance in Dharmaranya.

Legend has it that Rama settled for some time in a village named Modherak and did a Yajna to atone for the sin of killing a Brahmin. Modherak later came to be known as Modhera. It is also believed that he established a village called Sitapura. A village called Sitapura exists even today, about 19 kilometres from the Modhera Sun Temple. The Modhera Sun Temple is believed to have been built not far from the banks of River Pushpavati during the reign of King Bhima I of the Chaulukya (Soni) dynasty, probably in 1026-27. This fact is based on an inscription, found on the western wall of the sanctum. The inscription which is upside down, says, “Vikram Samwat 1083.”

This date corresponds to the Gregorian calendar year 1026-27. Historians are not agreed on the exact year in which the temple was built, though it is established that it was built during the reign of Bhima I (1022-1064). The fact that during the early years of Bhima I’s reign, Mahmud of Ghazni invaded the kingdom lends credence to the fact that the date mentioned in the inscription could even be the date of the ransacking of the temple.

However, it is agreed that the main temple and the Kunda were built earlier, while the Sabhamandapa and the decorative Torans were built later. These were ostensibly built during the reign of Bhima I’s son and successor, Karna (1064-1092).