Sun Temple - Modhera

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Devotees perform ceremonial ablutions here before worshipping the Sun God. The structure of temple consists of Sabha Mandap and Guda Mandap. Sabha Mandap is big hall used for meeting and conference. Sabha Mandap is open from all sides. Guda Mandap is the original temple of Lord Sun where rays of the rising sun fall directs on image of Lord Surya.

Modhera or Modherapura also known as Mundera is said to have been the original settlement of modha Brahmans. Having its legendary past relating to the Ramayana it is further believed that modha Brahmans received Modhera as a krsnarpana on the occasion of the marriage of Rama and Sita. According to the Skanda Purana (3.2.40-67) after defeating Ravana, Lord Rama consulted Muni Vasishta to show him a place of pilgrimage where he could go and purify himself of the sin of Brahma hatya (the slaying of a Brahman). The Muni showed him dharmaranya.

From the point of view of structural designing, the sun temple at Modhera is truly the one of its kinds. The Modhera sun temple encompasses three main chambers, namely Surya Kund, Sabha Mandap and Guda Mandap. Surya Kund is basically a beautifully carved stepped tank that was named after Sun God. Sabha mandap is the hall, where people gather for discussions on religious topics. Guda Mandap is the sanctum sanctorum, also known as the main temple.

One of the most striking features of the Modhera Sun temple is that the first ray of the sun falls on the deity at the time of the equinoxes. The temple has a unique architecture and consists of a number of other magnificent buildings in the vicinity. The main buildings are the Surya Kund, the Sabha Mandap and the Guda Mandap (Sanctum Sanctorum). Apart from this, there is a beautiful hall in between the Sabha Mandapa and the Sanctum Sanctorum. It has remarkable pillars and arches and shows the different aspects of the Sun God in each month.

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The Sun Temple was built by Raja Bhimdev I of Solanki Dynasty in AD 1026. This was the time when Somnath and the adjoining area was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni and reeled under the effects of his invasion. The Solankis, however, regained much of their lost power and splendour. Anahilvad Patan, the Solanki capital, was restored to glory. Royalty and traders jointly contributed to build grand temples.Solankis were considered to be Suryavanshis, or descendants of Sun god. The temple was so designed that the first rays of the sun fell on the image of Surya, the Sun God, at the time equinoxes.

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Sabha Mandap:
Literally, Sabha Mandap refers to an assembly hall where religious gatherings and conferences are conducted. This hall is open from all the four sides and has 52 delicately carved pillars. The intricate carvings depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata (Indian Epics) and scenes from the life of Lord Krishna. In order to get into the Sanctum Sanctorum, one has to cross the passage with pillars and arches.

Guda Mandap:
Guda Mandap is the sanctum sanctorum that is supported by a lotus-base plinth. Once, this hall used to house the idol of the Sun God. The designing of the hall was done in a way, so that the idol gets the first glimpse of the Sun at equinoxes. However, the idol was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni yet the walls represent the Sun God in his 12 different facets of each month. The carved walls also depict the aspects of human life like the vicious circle of birth and death. The façade of this hall was renovated in the recent years, despite the fact that the roof over the Guda Mandap had already been shattered.

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Sahastralinga Talav:
Sahastralinga Talav, an artificial tank, was built by the Siddhraj Jaisingh (1093 -1143 AD), the Chalukyan ruler of Gujarat in Patan. This tank is situated on the north-western part of Patan, on the banks of the Saraswati river. The architecture of this tank integrated the great sense of water management and sanctity of water in Hindu religion. The tank used to receive water from a canal of the Saraswati river and had spread about five km with masonry embankments.

Khan Sarovar:
Khan Sarovar is located outside South Gate. This is a water tank from Solanki period with stone steps and masonry. Mirza Aziz Kokah renovated this tank using the stones from ruined structures.

Hemachandracharya Gyan Mandir:
Hemachandracharya Gyan Mandir contains thousands of rare ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Hemachandracharya was a great scholar and grammarian, the first one to formulate the grammar of the Gujarati language.

Mahavir Swami Temples:
There are 100 Jain temples in Patan. The most important Jain temple is the Mahavir Swami Derasar in Dhandherwad with exquisitely carved wooden dome. The important Hindu temples are Kalika Mata, Sindhwai Mata, Harihareshwar Mahadev and Brahma Kund.

Langhanaj locality:
The Langhanaj locality of Mehsana is an interesting place. It is an excavation site, where 14 fossilized skeletons and monoliths were unearthed. The locality bears evidence to the life of early man of Langhanaj. It bears close affinity with the East Africans.

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