Surya Mandir Kandaha

Getting there

• By air

  Saharsa has no airport. Darbhanga Airport is the nearest, about 90 km away.

• By train

  Saharsa Junction (SHC) is the railway station the district page lists for the temple.

• By road

  The temple is nearly 16 km west of Saharsa bus stand.

Why devotees come here

Surya Mandir at Kandaha village in Saharsa district, Bihar, is a Sun temple dedicated to Suryanarayana. The Archaeological Survey of India has recognised it as an important religious and historical place. Its idol of Surya on a seven-horse chariot is carved from one granite slab.

The temple is called Kandaha Surya Mandir, and the district listing uses the same name. The village of Kandaha lies in Pastwar panchayat of Mahishi block. Legend says the village is believed to be the birthplace of the Vedic rishi Kanada. The Archaeological Survey of India has recognised the temple as an important religious and historical place.

Historians read the inscriptions at the sanctum door as showing that the temple was built during the period of King Narsimha Deo of the Karnata dynasty. He ruled over Mithila in the 14th century.

The temple has been damaged and later renovated. Local tradition says a Mughal ruler named Kalapahad damaged the temple, and that the saint-poet Laxminath Gosai renovated it. The idol of Surya shows him riding a seven-horse chariot, and it is carved on a single granite slab.

Tips for your visit

• Use Gorho Ghat Chowk as your landmark, since the temple is nearly 3 km north of it on the road to Tarasthan, Mahishi.
• Use the name Kandaha Surya Mandir when you ask for the temple, the name the district listing uses.

Questions people ask