Majestic temples of yore

[Guest guest]

Majestic temples of yore: I read with interest the article "History

of Sun Worship" (Organiser, 31-7-2005). Almost everyone has heard of

the great temple at Konarak. But very few outside Andhra Pradesh know

about the living temple of the same tradition at Arasavalli in

Srikakulam, the northern-most district of Andhra Pradesh, bordering

Orissa. Srikakulam was historically part of Kalinga. The temple at

Konarak was grander but unfortunately suffered destruction and

desecration by the Muslim invaders from Bengal led by Kala Pahad. The

smaller temple at Arasavali, which lay further south, escaped any

such misfortune and has continued with its ancient Sun worship. To my

knowledge, there were three Sun temples in Hindu India, one at

Mulasthana later called Multan, now in Pakistan Punjab, and the above-

mentioned two temples. Muhammad bin Kasim, the Arab invader of Sind,

went up to Multan and sacked the Sun temple. Worship seems to have

continued for some more centuries. What happened after that, whether

it was still active during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and

after? What happened to the temple or its site after 1947? I will be

grateful if someone could throw light on all these points.

 

—S.V. Ramakrishnan, 2A, Atlas Apartments, Road No 10, Banjara Hills,

Hyderabad