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Jammu and kashmir is rich cultural region with many different types of culture residing in them and it has a history of great architectural sites or to be precise popular temples, these temples are mentioned below:
- Amarnath Temple
- Avantipur Temple
- Vaishno Devi Temple
- Sudh Mahadev Temple
- Baboor Temple
- Raghunath Temple
- Martand Sun Temple
We are going to discuss more in detail about the Martand sun temple in this article.
Martand Sun Temple and its history
The Martand Sun Temple, also called Shaitan ki Gufa, is a Hindu shrine located within Jammu and Kashmir, India, just near the city area of Anantnag. It was built in the 8th century AD and was dedicated to Surya, Hinduism’s principal sun god; Surya is also recognized through his Sanskrit name Martand. Upon command of the former Muslim emperor of Kashmir, Sikandar Shah Miri, this temple was demolished by the army of the Shah Miri empire throughout the 15th century.
The Martand Sun Temple was initially established in the 8th century AD under Lalitaditya Muktapida, the third raja in the region of Kashmir with relation to the Karkota empire. While the temple seems to be constructed from 725 until 756, its foundations go all the way back to roughly 370 to500 AD, with several dating the temple’s development to Ranaditya.
Brief On History And Structure Of The Sun Temple Of Kashmir:
The archaeological survey of India has classified Martand Sun Temple with the recognition as a site of national significance. Anantnag town, located at an altitude of approximately 5400 feet above the water level, seems to be approximately 33 miles from Srinagar and seems to be easily accessible by road. Martand Sun Temple is located in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on Surya Mandir Road.
Lalitaditya Muktapida, the ruler of an empire of the Karkota dynasty, constructed the temple throughout the 8th century CE. Another Ancient title for the worshipped Hindu Sun god is Martand. Lord Sun is honoured at this shrine. It’s a columned structured mediaeval temple with a monument in the centre as well as a yard. It contains 84 column-like structures, which is a holy Hindu figure and offers stunning views of the surrounding valleys. Visitors to the shrine may indulge in a breathtaking perspective of the Kashmir region.
The Martand temple is located on some kind of plateau with such a panoramic view of the entire Kashmir Valley. It’s an exceptional instance of Kashmiri style structures, which had mixed ancient Gandhara, Gupta, as well as Chinese styles of building, per the excavations and associated archaeological evidence.
The Greek influence on Kashmir’s historic architectural styles is unquestionable. The usage of concrete Pillars, Columns, symmetrical Passageways, Ornamental Fritters, similar and repetitive patterns, notably the rectangle and Triangles, Images of Gods Carved onto Walls, as well as architectural elements, all reflect Greek inspiration. Moreover, Kashmiri Stone Architects made several changes to accommodate the snowy weather. This influence may be seen in the stone temple architecture sites like Martanda as well as Awantipora.
The magnificent Martand Sun Temple, located amongst the woods just in the region of Mattan within Kashmir’s Anantnag Province, is also referred to as the Dream of Stones. The temple is composed of Devri stones, which may have been brought using elephants. Elephants seem to have been widespread across the region of Kashmir until the eleventh century, according to several collected works of Kalhana.
This temple is surrounded on all sides by a yard with columns as well as arches that construct a covered roof like a corridor. Lalitaditya, like Chandrapida Vajraditya, must have been a sun god worshipper as well as a practitioner of the Vaishnava religion, which was committed towards the devotion to Keshva Vishnu. As a result, several three-faced Vishnu sculptures and some Chaturbhuja Vishnu sculptures have been notably sculpted on the Monument’s exterior.
To this very day, a centralised water tank containing narrow water passages still exists. A carefully carved figure of Aruna may still be seen in the right panel of the eastern wall of the Ante hall of the Sun Temple. The charioteer devoted to Surya, Aruna, is in charge of his seven horses with whom the god Surya travels around.
Conclusion
The article talks in brief about the location of the sun temple of Kashmir along with its structural importance and for whom it was built. The sun god was an actual figure of inspiration and devotion for constructing this temple.
