This Sunday, October 9, 2022, news channels were agog with 3-D light & sound show at Modhera’s Sun Temple in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. It was a real pleasure to watch TV channels for once.
Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji performed Darshan and Pooja at the Modheshwari Mata Temple, then went to Surya Mandir. The Mandir premises came alive with vibrant lighting and sound show interspersed with a cultural program, making the whole atmosphere radiant.
The exclusively carved temple complex and the magnificently sculpted kund are jewels in the art of masonry of the Solanki period apparently which was also known as the Golden Age of Gujarat. You can savour your voyage through time to the magnificent aeons of the Golden period as you get welcomed personally by the life-like icons, narrating stories and legends of Modhera.
The Sun Temple of Modhera is a Hindu temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat, India. It is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati. It was built after 1026-27 CE during the reign of Bhima I of the Chalukyas dynasty. No worship is offered now and is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The temple complex has three components: Gūḍhamanḍapa, the shrine hall; Sabhamanḍapa, the assembly hall, and Kunḍa, the reservoir. The halls have intricately carved exteriors and pillars. The reservoir has steps to reach the bottom and numerous small shrines.
A bit more about Modhera Sun Temple: As one traverses the length and breadth of Gujarat, one constantly stumbles across architectural legacies of the ‘Solanki’ rule. You keep coming across, living spaces and monuments of another time, offering an eclectic glimpse of the artistic and ingenious beauty that makes this state exotically vibrant.
A soothing drive amidst green farmlands just 25 km away from Mehsana on the way to the temples of goddess Bahucharaji reposes the village of Modhera. Set along the backdrop of River Pushpavati, surrounded by a terra-formed garden of flowering trees and songs of birds, rests the famed Sun temple of Modhera.
As you relax and soothe your nerves, become one with nature and open your mind to the poetry in stone, dedicated to the sun god, living glimpses of the era far elapsed emerge out of the intricacies of narrative sculptures. The remains of the Sun Temples at Modhera are relics of times gone by when reverence of the natural elements fire, air, earth, water, and sky were at their peak sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic gods.
The ancient philosophy venerating natural elements and their association with humans was considered the prime force and energy of the life cycle. A walk around the serene temple campus makes you aware of the positively strong aura of energy that the place radiates and through it brings one closer to the environs.
Modhera, India’s first village with continuous solar power, embodies PM’s ambition for solarizing the town of sun temples. The project comprises establishing a ground-mounted solar power facility as well as more than 1300 rooftop solar systems on homes and government structures, all of which are connected to battery energy storage devices.
The project will showcase how India’s expertise in renewable energy can empower people at the grassroots.
“We won’t be paying for power anymore; instead, we’ll sell it and make money off of it,” declared Prime Minister Modi speaking on the occasion. Residents used to get power from the government; however, with the installation of solar panels, people will now be able to generate their electricity.
This empowering move made by the Prime Minister further instils India’s ability to grow and develop the nation in accordance with sustainable and future alternatives to power which not only helps the people but also aids in environmental causes for the future generations to seek an example out of.
Certainly, it will be another feather in the tourism cap of Gujarat and Gujarat Tourism has added attraction to attract tourists to the state.
Courtesy: India Today
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