Katarmal Sun Temple

At a distance of 20 km from Almora and 30 km from Ranikhet, Katarmal Sun Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at Katarmal village in Almora district of Uttarakhand. Katarmal Temple is dedicated to Lord Burhadita or Vriddhaditya (the old Sun God) and is one of the famous historical places of Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand. The present image of Surya in the temple dates back to 12th century. Built in the 9th century by Katarmalla, a Katyuri king, this temple is perched at an altitude of 2116 m.

The Sun Temple is noted for its magnificent architecture and is a monument of historical importance. The temple complex has one main temple surrounded by 45 smaller exquisitely carved temples. The idols of Shiva-Parvati and Lakshmi-Narayana can also be spotted in this temple. The building faces the east in a way such that the first rays of the sun fall on the Shiva Lingam. Stone-built walls, intricate figures, beautiful pillar carvings and exquisitely cut out wooden doors are among the distinctive features of this temple.

The carved wooden doors and panels were transported to the National Museum, Delhi, after the original idol of presiding deity was stolen in the 10th century. The temple, which holds other carvings on walls and panels, was declared a monument of national importance.

Though the temple is in a decaying state, it is visited by many devotees who come here to offer prayer to the Sun God. There is no means of transport available after the Kosi River, and thus visitors are needed to walk 2 km on foot in order to reach the temple complex. The route passes through many villages, and one can get a glimpse of the local culture.

Katarmal Sun Temple History
The Katarmal Surya temple stands as a magnificent example of the exquisite temple architecture of India. It was built by a king named Katarmalla and hence the name. The king though lost in the grey, black hole of history still survives in the beautiful structure of the Katarmal Sun Temple near Almora, Uttarakhand, that he had built. King Katarmalla was a relatively lesser-known member of the Katyuri dynasty. This dynasty strode the region of Uttarakhand like a colossus between the 9th and 12th centuries. Their reign also spanned the regions of Nepal and Afghanistan.

The Katyuri kings in spite of their military might have left their footprints on the sands of time with the beautiful temples they had built. Uttarakhand which is quite literally the land of Gods has so many famous temples like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Jageshwar temple, Baijnath temple, etc.. Many of the temples including the Katarmal Surya temple, Baijnath temple, and the Vasu Deve temple in Joshimath were built by the Katyuri kings.

In its original splendor, the Katarmal Sun temple consisted of the main shrine. This stood in the center of a raised platform atop a hill. The main shrine had a beautifully carved door and the panels of the shrine were bedecked with exquisite carvings. The main shrine was surrounded by a cluster of smaller temples which were miniature versions of the main shrine and numbered 44. The deity in the main shrine was Surya or the Sun God. The Sun was worshipped in the form of Burhadita or Vraddhaditya which means elderly or old. The smaller temples were dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses like Shiva, Parvati, Lakshmi, Vishnu, etc..