Sun Temples In India - The Dakshinaarka temple at Gaya, Bihar, India Part 2/08

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The Dakshinaarka temple at Gaya, Bihar, India Part 02/08

 

There is an ancient Sun temple at Gaya in the state of Bihar, India.

Offerings to the ancestors are made at the Surya Kunda or the

Dakshina Maanas tank in front of the temple. Sun worship apparently

was very popular in the Magadha region which included Gaya. Numerous

old images of the Sun God Aditya are found in the Gaya region and

there are still quite a number of sun worshippers in Gaya. It is said

that they may have descended from the fire worshippers of Central

Asia. In fact, the granite image of Aditya (this particular image

here is also referred to as Dakshinaarka) or the Sun God worshipped

here is portrayed as wearing a jacket, a waist girdle and high boots

in the Iranian tradition. Hundreds of people visit this temple on

Sundays.

 

Sun worship in the Magadha region that encompassed Gaya has been

mentioned in the Puranas and thus this temple is said to be of very

ancient origin. The current structure dates back to the 13th century,

where the South Indian emperor Prataparudra of Warangal in Andhra

Pradesh is said to have built it.

 

The Sun Temple at Gaya faces east and is located close to the famous

Vishnupaada temple where a footprint of Vishnu is said to be

enshrined. To the east of the temple is the tank Surya Kunda. The

temple is a simple and plain one, with a dome over it. The

comparatively larger sabha mandapa stands in front of the sanctum.

Massive pillars line the mandapa where there are graceful stone

sculptures of Shiva, Bhramaa, Vishnu, Surya and Durga.

 

There are two other notable Sun temples at Gaya, namely the Uttaraka

temple near the Uttara Maanas tank and the Gayaditya temple on the

river Falgu.

 

Continue......

 

The Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao in Madhya Pradesh, India Part 03 To Part 08

 

Jai Sai Ram

Swamy Mahadevan

Bow to Shri Sai-Peace be to all