| Sun
Temple at Modhera
The sun temple at Modhera in Mehsana districts, in north Gujarat,
built during the reign of the Solanki king Bhimdev I near a village of
the same name, represents one of the most magnificent monuments of Gujarat.
The temple, though in ruins, is still in its extant form an imposing structure
and is counted among the best specimens of Indian art and architecture.
The niches in the inner sides of the surroundings wall contain twelve
images of the Sun-god, fashioned in the Iranian style, characterised by
their lofty boots reaching up to the knees. The shrine faces due east
to allow the rays of the rising sun at equinoxes to the seat of the deity.
The temple complex consists of a Prasad, a Sabha Mandap
and a Kund. The image of the presiding deity is missing. The underground
cell in the sanctum is supposed to have contained an additional image. |
