Modhera Sun Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Ahmedabad Airport is about 95 km away, roughly 2 hours by road.

• By train

  Mehsana Junction is the nearest railway station, about 28 km away, around 40 minutes by road.

• By road

  Mehsana is 26 km, Gandhinagar 83 km and Ahmedabad 99 km away by road.

Book and check

Official pages only. We do not sell darshan passes or tours.

• Visiting hours and how to get there (Gujarat Tourism)gujarattourism.com

Why devotees come here

Modhera Sun Temple is a Hindu temple of the solar deity Surya, in the village of Modhera in Mehsana district, Gujarat. It stands on the bank of the River Pushpavati. Built in the 11th century, it is no longer used for worship and is a protected monument.

The Modhera Sun Temple is dedicated to Surya, the solar deity. Worship no longer takes place here, and the Archaeological Survey of India protects it as a monument. The sanctum is aligned so that the first rays of the rising sun fall on the image of Surya during the equinoxes.

The Chaulukya rulers built the temple in the 11th century. The Archaeological Survey of India dates it to 1026-27 CE, under Bhima I. It is built in the Māru-Gurjara style, also called the Chaulukya style. The assembly hall has 52 intricately carved pillars. The stepped tank called the Kunda is 176 feet long north to south and 120 feet wide east to west.

Historian A. K. Majumdar has suggested that the temple may commemorate a defence against Mahmud of Ghazni. This remains a theory, not a settled fact.

Festivals

• Third week of January, after UttarayanModhera Dance Festival

  A three-day dance festival, called Uttarardha Mahotsav, held at the temple complex.

Tips for your visit

• Modhera lies on the way to the temples of Bahucharaji.
• The sunrise alignment happens during the solar equinoxes.

Questions people ask