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Abodes of Surya

The Indian system of beliefs venerates the sun as an    inexhaustable source of energy. Sun worship in India dates back to ancient times. Perhaps the best known of the sun temples in India are the remains of the Konark temple on the east coast of India and the remains of the Modhera sun temple in the western state of Gujarat.

Sun worship in India: The Indian system of beliefs reveres the Sun as an inexhaustable source of energy. The Sun God portrayed in ancient temples bears symbols and ornaments resembling those from Asia Minor.

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Legends related to Surya: This article traces the various legends associated with Surya, his consorts Usha, Chhaaya and Padma.
Surya - Iconography - Beliefs: The Sun is portrayed seated on a chariot drawn by seven horses. A common thread of beliefs surrounds sun worship all over  the Indian subcontinent. Suryanaar Koyil near Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu: was constructed by Kulottunga Chola in the 1100s, to aid visiting dignitaries from Kanauj in sun worship. The Konark Sun temple is probably the best and most majestic specimen of temple art in Orissa, despite its ruined state.
The Surya Pahar temple situated amongst several archaeological remains in Goalpara in Assam is an ancient center of sun worship. modhera.jpg (248432 bytes) The Modhera sun temple, even in its ruined state is a majestic one, bearing testimony to the art of the ancient Chalukyas of Gujarat.
The Suryanarayana temple at Arasavalli in Andhra Pradesh is an ancient one built by the Kalinga rulers in the 1st millennium CE. The Dakshinaarka Sun temple at Gaya is associated with the rites for making offerings to ancestors. The Sun Temple at Ranakpur: is a magnificient structure in white soapstone. It is located in the vicinity of the grand Jain temple complex in Ranakpur in Rajasthan.
Templenet article commemorating the last solar eclipse of the 2nd millennium CE.

The sun temple at Unao in Madhya Pradesh is an ancient one, believed to be associated with cures for skin ailments.

Links to Sun temples outside India.


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