Page 43 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue
P. 43
almost simultaneously. Vikram Sawant 1083 which corresponds to
The well had been visited by British 1026 1027 A.D., during the reign of Solanki
travellers in the first half of the 19th King Bheemdeva I. The date of erection
century. Henry Cousens and James Burgess is almost 1000 years old. Modhera’s
who visited the stepwell at Patan in 1886 grandeur was first described by the British
and found that the well was completely archaeologists James Burgess and Henry
filled up with earth and only the back Cousens in the early 20th century.
wall of the well and pillars of Toran were The temple consists of three separate
visible. An early account is found in James elements: The main temple-complex,
Tod’s travels in Western India stating that including sanctum (Gudha Mandap) lateral
materials of this well were used in building transepts and porch. Second is a detached
another well in Patan known as Barot Ni assembly hall (Sabha Mandapa or Nritya
Vav. Mandapa) with a torana in front and third,
a large rectangular masonry tank 175 by
MODHERA – THE SUN TEMPLE 120 ft decorated with numerous miniature
Modhera is situated 75 km to the northwest shrines. Locally known as Ramakunda,
of Ahmedabad and 35 km from Mehsana approached through a grand flight of steps
in North Gujarat. The old Solanki capital from all four sides. The tank has about 108
of Patan is situated 40 km to the north small temples which contain the relief of
of Modhera this is an ancient township various deities.
referred to in The Puranas as Dharma Yana.
The Sun Temple Modhera is located on the
left bank of the river Pushmaavati,
a tributary of River Rupan in Bechraji
Taluka of Mehsana District. The literal
meaning of Modhera is Mount of the Dead.
Modhera is sometimes called ‘Mundera’
the original settlement of the Modha
Brahmins. For air travellers Ahmedabad is
a convenient option to reach Modhera. The sanctum has an arrangement of
This Temple ranks next only to the elegantly decorated pillars with exquisite
Sun Temple of Konark and is one of the ornamentation. The outer walls of the
finest examples of temple architecture in Sanctum are relieved by niches containing
Gujarat. It is built on a platform facing east. the images of 12 Adityas, (Aditya is
Archaeologists found a stone inscribed with another name for the Sun) panels of Ashta-
Dikpalas, different forms of Gauri, dancing
Apsaras, musicians etc. (The dikpalas in
Hinduism are guardian gods presiding
over the directions of space. The eight
dikpalas are as follows: East is Indira,
South East = Agni, South = Yama, West
= Varuna, South West = Nirrti, North =
Kubera, North West = Vayu and North East
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #46 | APRIL 2023 43
