Chhath Puja 2025 Special: The Golden Glory of Modhera's 1000-Year-Old Sun Temple in Gujarat

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As the country celebrates Chhath Puja 2025, a festival that honours the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth, I found myself drawn to one of India's most magnificent temples dedicated to Surya - the Sun Temple of Modhera in Gujarat. Built more than a thousand years ago during the reign of King Bhima I, this architectural gem still shines like gold at sunrise and sunset. During my recent visit to Gujarat for Garba, I spent a day at Modhera, witnessing how faith, light, and architecture merge into a spectacle that truly defines India's spiritual and artistic legacy.

A Boldsky Special - through the eyes of Vandana Singh Yaddav, Deputy Editor.

In the heart of Gujarat's Mehsana district, tucked away in the village of Modhera on the banks of the Pushpavati river, stands one of India's most radiant architectural legacies: the Sun Temple at Modhera. Built more than a thousand years ago - during the reign of King Bhima I of the Chaulukya (Solanki) dynasty around 1026-27 CE - this temple is a tribute to the solar deity, Surya, designed with precision both spiritual and scientific.

Photo Credit: Boldsky

When you arrive at Modhera on the morning of your visit (as I did on the third day of my Gujarat Garba-journey), the east-facing façade captures the first rays of sunrise - the temple glows like gold, its sandstone shimmering, the carvings casting long dawn shadows. It is a spectacle of light and myth, and a perfect embodiment of what it means for a structure to be built in harmony with the cosmos.

Architectural Grandeur And Cosmic Alignment

The temple complex is laid out with remarkable clarity: three principal components aligned on an east-west axis - the Gudhamandapa (inner hall and shrine), the Sabhamandapa (assembly hall), and the Kunda (step-well tank) in front. The orientation is such that on equinox days, the rising sun's rays would penetrate the entrance and illuminate the inner sanctum where once the gold idol of Surya stood.

The temple's sculptural programme is rich: along its walls you'll find Surya riding his chariot of seven horses, divine dancers, scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Ashta-Dikpalas (guardians of directions) and human life depicted in all its phases.

The Kunda (often called Suryakund or Ramakund) in front of the temple measures about 176 ft by 120 ft and is extraordinary for its geometric precision and for the 108 miniature shrines built along its steps. Walking through the colonnaded Sabhamandapa, where 52 intricately carved pillars support the vaulted ceilings, you sense that this was not just a sanctuary of worship but also of gathering, drama and ritual.

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1000 Years Legacy Still Radiant

Though the temple is no longer an active site of daily worship, its legacy endures. Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and inscribed on the UNESCO Tentative List for World Heritage status under Cultural criteria (i) and (iv), the Sun Temple stands as a masterpiece of Maru-Gurjara (Solanki) architecture. The yellow sandstone used in its construction literally glows in sunlight, especially at dawn and dusk, giving the sense that the temple still honours its dedication to Surya. In my own visit, as the sun tipped the horizon, the façade felt almost alive - the carvings flickering into relief, the water of the Kunda reflecting the rays, the temple's silhouette crisp against the morning sky.

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Experiencing The Temple: A Visitor's Perspective

Having visited Gujarat this year for Garba, I carved out a day-trip on day three to Modhera. Driving through fields and small village roads, I reached the temple early morning. The quiet, the soft golden light, and the step-well's calm water all created a meditative experience.

Tip: Arrive early (just after sunrise) to capture the east-facing temple in its golden moment. Walk around the Kunda and climb the steps - from there you'll see the long view of the temple rising behind the tank.

Explore the sabha hall, run your fingers over the carved pillars - the dancers carved in stone seem to pause mid-movement, the scenes of celestial beings breathe stillness and energetics both. Then sit on the platform just outside the inner shrine and imagine the rays falling on the lost gold idol, the same ritual of light that pilgrims once experienced.

Evening: If time allows, visit again at dusk to see the temple glow as the setting sun bathes it in amber tones - a lesser-known yet hauntingly beautiful view.

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Why It Matters?

1. India's reverence for the Sun deity is ancient, rooted in Vedic texts. The Modhera temple is a physical manifestation of this, linking architecture, cosmology and devotion.
2. The interplay of sculpture and structure here is exceptional - the exterior walls covered with tales and beings; the inside quietly plain to allow the divine image to stand out.
3. The alignment with the sun's path, the step-well's geometry, the east-west orientation - centuries ago this demanded knowledge of astronomy, engineering and symbolism.
5. For modern travellers and cultural enthusiasts alike, Modhera offers more than history - it is a living reminder of India's architectural depth, and when you place it amid your Gujarat journey (say, after Garba nights), it becomes a luminous highlight.

From The Eyes Of A Traveler

At Modhera, it was the way the morning light made the sandstone glow, how the silence of the courtyard held echoes of centuries, and how the carvings told not only gods' stories but our own human ones - birth, life, time, nature, reflection. If you're in Gujarat for vacation, take a day break and head to Modhera. In the bustle of dance and colour, the temple offers a calm dawn of stone and shadow. Sit by the step-well, watch the birds dip at sunrise, trace your fingers over a dancer carved in stone and feel the weight of centuries under your palm.

Surya Temple and Chhat Puja Connection

Since you are celebrating Chhath Puja this year, the Sun Temple offers a meaningful connection. Chhath honours Surya - the very deity for whom Modhera rises. As you pray at dawn, dip your hands in the water and salute the sun, remember this place: a thousand-year-old sanctuary where sun-rays once kissed a golden idol. May your own celebrations be filled with light, gratitude and heritage.