The Sun has been celebrated as a symbol of divine power across cultures and civilisations. Ancient Egyptians revered the Sun God Ra, Greeks and Romans honoured Helios and Sol Invictus, while Aztecs performed elaborate rituals for Huitzilopochtli.
In ancient India, the Sun was a supreme deity embodying light, energy, and life. Ancient Vedic texts are rich with hymns celebrating Surya’s role as a divine force. Worship of the radiant orb was exemplified through some remarkable temples. These exquisitely sculpted monuments served as religious centres and astronomical observatories to track solar events such as equinoxes, solstices, and eclipses.
One of the oldest and most awe-inspiring examples can be found near Anantnag in Kashmir. The 8th-century Martand Sun Temple, built by Lalitaditya Mukapida of the Karkota dynasty, is a testament to human ingenuity and devotion. Its grand scale and architectural complexity, even in a ruined state, are a sight to behold. The large courtyard, surrounded by columns, leads to the central shrine, strategically aligned to capture sunlight throughout the day. The design incorporates elements from Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese, Greco-Roman, and Buddhist architectural styles, reflecting the blend of cultural influences of that era. The 84 smaller shrines in the courtyard symbolise constellations of Hindu astronomy, adding to the temple’s grandeur.
Fast forward to the 11th century for the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, near Patan. This structure, built by King Bhima of the Chalukyan Dynasty, has an extraordinary cosmic significance due to its east-west location on the Tropic of Cancer. The layout includes a rectangular step-well (Surya Kund) that mirrors the celestial alignment. The Sabha Mandap stands on 52 pillars, symbolising the weeks in a year, while the outer wall features twelve postures of the Sun or Aditya, one for each month. The earthquake-resistant system is an engineering marvel in its own right.
The most exemplary of all the temples in this genre is the Konark Temple near Puri in Odisha. A masterpiece of creative genius, this stone temple was constructed by Narsaimha Dev-I of the East Ganga Dynasty in the 13th century. Designed like a gigantic chariot of the Sun God, it has twelve pairs of elaborately carved wheels drawn by seven horses, evoking movement across the heavens. The temple’s orientation ensures that the first rays of the Sun each day fall directly on the main entrance, illuminating the sanctum at specific times. Iron beams and magnetic arrangements once allowed the idol to float, pointing to the sophisticated understanding of solar cycles and engineering.
From these grand temples to the practice of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), ancient reverence for the Sun continues to influence modern life. Surya Namaskar, a sequence of twelve yogic postures performed in a flowing series, mirrors the Sun’s daily path across the sky. Each pose is synchronised with breath and movement, symbolising a harmonious relationship with solar cycles. This practice not only honours ancient traditions but also promotes physical vitality, flexibility, and mental clarity. Embraced by millions globally, Surya Namaskar demonstrates how ancient insights retain their significance, even in our tech-driven, rapidly evolving world. The Sun, indeed, continues to reign supreme, connecting us to our cultural heritage and the natural world.
