105-573: 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 Chaulukya dynasty . No worship is offered now and it is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India . The temple complex has three components: Gūḍhamanḍapa ,
210-538: A Surya artwork along with many other gods and goddesses at its doorway. The 8th and 9th century goddess (Shaktism) temples of central India, similarly engrave Surya along with other Hindu gods within the temple. The six century Shiva temple at Gangadhar in Rajasthan includes Surya. Similar mentions are found in stone inscriptions found near Hindu temples, such as the 5th century Mandasor inscription. These temples, states Michael Meister, do not glorify one god or goddess over
315-464: A coloured engraving of "a splendid sculptured Portico of a Temple dedicated to Mahadeo, at Moondheyra in Guzerat" and in it she meditates upon the vastness of this structure. The original painting is by David Roberts . [REDACTED] Media related to Sun Temple, Modhera at Wikimedia Commons Surya Traditional Surya ( / ˈ s uː r j ə / ; Sanskrit : सूर्य , IAST : Sūrya )
420-477: A crown. It specifically describes his dress to be Northern (i.e. Central Asian, with boots). In contrast, the Vishnudharmottara, another Hindu text on architecture, states Surya iconography should show him with four hands, with flowers in two hands, a staff in third, and in fourth he should be shown to be holding writing equipment (Kundi palm leaf and pen symbolizing knowledge). His chariot driver in both books
525-430: A deep band. There is a thin fillet above which the major paneled face of the wall called jangha exist. These panels are decorated with figures of gods but the figures of Surya are placed prominently than others as the temple is dedicated to him. Other panels are decorated with dancers and other figures. The figures of Surya are prominently carved on three niches of shrine proper as well as on each side of three windows in
630-571: A deity is also found in the arts and literature of Buddhism and Jainism . Surya is also regarded as the father of Sugriva and Karna , who play important roles in the two Hindu epic—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , respectively. Surya was a primary deity in veneration by the characters of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Surya is depicted with a Chakra, also interpreted as Dharmachakra . Surya
735-541: A few days around the equinox when the Sun goes directly behind the satellite relative to Earth (i.e. within the beam-width of the ground-station antenna) for a short period each day. The Sun's immense power and broad radiation spectrum overload the Earth station's reception circuits with noise and, depending on antenna size and other factors, temporarily disrupt or degrade the circuit. The duration of those effects varies but can range from
840-400: A few days towards the winter side of each equinox. One result of this is that, at latitudes below ±2.0 degrees, all the days of the year are longer than the nights. The times of sunset and sunrise vary with the observer's location ( longitude and latitude ), so the dates when day and night are equal also depend upon the observer's location. A third correction for the visual observation of
945-403: A few minutes to an hour. (For a given frequency band, a larger antenna has a narrower beam-width and hence experiences shorter duration "Sun outage" windows.) Satellites in geostationary orbit also experience difficulties maintaining power during the equinox because they have to travel through Earth's shadow and rely only on battery power. Usually, a satellite travels either north or south of
1050-507: A force of around 20,000 soldiers had unsuccessfully tried to check his advance at Modhera. Historian A. K. Majumdar theorizes that the Sun Temple might have been built to commemorate this defense. On a block in the western wall of the cella, there is an upside down inscription " Vikram Samvat 1083" carelessly incised in Devnagari script which correspond to 1026-1027 CE. No other date is found. As
1155-477: A grand chariot with twelve wheels pulled by seven horses. The temple features Surya in three representations, with the main large Surya destroyed and the temple damaged over the course of repeated Muslim invasions. Besides Konark, there are two other sun temples in Orissa called Biranchi Narayan Sun Temple . There are sun temples in many parts of India, such as Modhera , Gujarat. It was sponsored by King Bhimdev of
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#17328510823201260-719: A mosque atop the site, abandoning the Sunni congregational mosque in Multan. This Ismaili Shia mosque atop the Sun Temple's ruins was then destroyed by the Sunni ruler Mahmud of Ghazni , the Surya temple was not rebuilt and an empty space left in place, actions that helped re-establish the importance of the Sunni mosque in Multan. While Shiva and Vishnu are more common in 1st millennium southeast Asian artwork such as those found in Cambodia and Thailand , archaeological evidence suggest god Surya were among
1365-437: A mountain peak turning gold in the sunlight long before the lower slopes are illuminated. The date on which the day and night are exactly the same is known as an equilux ; the neologism , believed to have been coined in the 1980s, achieved more widespread recognition in the 21st century. At the most precise measurements, a true equilux is rare, because the lengths of day and night change more rapidly than any other time of
1470-606: A primary deity in Hinduism longer than any most of the original Vedic deities, the worship of Surya declined greatly around the 13th century, perhaps as a result of the Muslim destruction of Sun temples in North India. New Sun temples virtually ceased to be built, and some were later repurposed to a different deity. A number of important Surya temples remain, but most are no longer in worship. In certain aspects, Surya has tended to be merged with
1575-414: A round apex and wavy sides. Both types have a broad band decorated with figures and tips which are now defaced and damaged. The lower brackets has Makara which gives the name of Makara-Torana while decoration gives name of chitra-torana . The pillars of Sabhamandapa and Gudhamandapa are of two types; short and tall. The short pillars rest on the walls and support the roof. The tall pillars rise from
1680-435: A semi-circular enclosure. The most important finds were two marble statues of Surya, the first example found during the original excavations (1934, Delegation Archaeologique Française Afghanistan), the second example found by accident in 1980. In Nepal, many Surya temples and artworks trace to the medieval era, such as the 11th-century Thapahiti and Saugal-tol, and 12th century Naksal stone sculptures. Artifacts discovered at
1785-466: A series of recessed corners giving an impression of the star-like plan of it. There are 52 intricately carved pillars. Madhusudan Dhaky has suggested that the sabhamandapa may have been later addition based on style and construction. The pitha is almost similar to the Gudhamandapa but smaller as two courses of fillets are omitted. The padma is carved richly here with floral ornamentation. Above
1890-416: A sunrise (or sunset) is the angle between the apparent horizon as seen by an observer and the geometric (or sensible) horizon. This is known as the dip of the horizon and varies from 3 arcminutes for a viewer standing on the sea shore to 160 arcminutes for a mountaineer on Everest. The effect of a larger dip on taller objects (reaching over 2½° of arc on Everest) accounts for the phenomenon of snow on
1995-478: A triangular pediment consisting of chaitya -a window which is called udgam . The next projecting band with chaitya -window and kirtimukha is called malakval . The topmost is the major cornice called chhajli . This is followed by shikhara which no longer exist. The Vimana had horizontal geometrical and figurative bands which rising to create the Mount Meru -like shikhara . The central spire had Urushringa ,
2100-479: Is Saranyu , daughter of Tvashtar . His sons include the Ashvins , Yama , and Manu . Through Manu, Vivasvat is considered an ancestor of humanity. Vivasvat is affiliated with Agni and Matarishvan , with Agni being stated to have been first revealed to those two. Vivasvat is also variously related to Indra , Soma , and Varuna . Vivasvant is also used as an adjective of Agni and Ushas to mean "brilliant". Already by
2205-452: Is gajathara carved with elephants. The following band narathara has figures of men in different attitudes. Mandovara , the wall moldings start with kumbha , a pitcher. It has a broad undecorated band at the lower part while the middle part is decorated with oval discs. It is followed by kalasha , a pitcher. The next is a broad band with chaitya -windows called kevala followed by similar called manchi . These two bands are separated by
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#17328510823202310-404: Is kalasha . It is followed by a deep band and the next is kevala decorated with chaitya -windows. the next is kirtimukha . The next is triangular pediment with chaitya -windows. The next is the beginning of the shaft. It is first decorated with standing figures, mostly dancers, on all eight faces enclosed in ringed pilasters. The next band with scenes of men and beasts is separated from it by
2415-460: Is 50 arcminutes below the geometric horizon, which is the intersection with the celestial sphere of a horizontal plane through the eye of the observer. These effects make the day about 14 minutes longer than the night at the equator and longer still towards the poles. The real equality of day and night only happens in places far enough from the equator to have a seasonal difference in day length of at least 7 minutes, actually occurring
2520-426: Is inverted lotus-shaped. The Gudhamandapa measures 51 feet 9 inches by 25 feet 8 inches. It is almost equally divided into Gudhamandapa , the hall and Garbhgriha , the shrine proper. Both are rectangular in plan with one projection on each of the smaller sides and two projections on each of the longer sides. These projections on the smaller sides form the entrance and the back of the shrine. The three projections of
2625-577: Is mentioned as her son or her husband. Surya's origin differs heavily in the Rigveda, with him being stated to have been born, risen, or established by a number of deities, including the Ādityas , Aditi , Dyaush , Mitra - Varuna , Agni , Indra , Soma , Indra-Soma, Indra-Varuna, Indra- Vishnu , Purusha , Dhatri , the Angirases, and the gods in general. The Atharvaveda also mentions that Surya originated from Vritra . The Vedas assert Sun (Surya) to be
2730-413: Is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by horses, often seven in number which represent the seven colours of visible light, and the seven days of the week. During the medieval period, Surya was worshipped in tandem with Brahma during the day, Shiva at noon, and Vishnu in the evening. In some ancient texts and art, Surya is presented syncretically with Indra , Ganesha , and others. Surya as
2835-676: Is one among the Navagraha temples and it is dedicated to Surya. Here lord Surya is called as Sivasurya Perumal. It is the first among the Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu. The most famous Surya temple is the Konark Sun Temple , a World Heritage Site in Orissa . Constructed in the 13th century by the Eastern Ganga dynasty, on a pre-existing pilgrimage site for Surya god, the temple architecture mimics
2940-517: Is reverentially aligned the direction of the rising Surya. This alignment towards the sunrise is also found in most Buddhist and Jaina temples in and outside of India. A prominent temple dedicated to Surya can be found in Arasavalli , which is in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh , India. The coastal district temple is peculiar with its latitude aligned to the minor lunar standstill . Also
3045-409: Is semicircular. Several miniature shrines and niches in front of terrace-wall have images of gods including many Vaishnavite deities and goddesses such as Shitala . The stepwell on the west of Kunda has one entrance and two pavilion-towers. It is moderately ornamented. The door-frame has lotus and leaves and the ruchaka type pilasters indicate it belongs to 11th century. The small mandapa above
3150-636: Is spread in the present day south east Asia at historical Kalinga (province) , Kalingga Kingdom etc. Other most worshiped Surya temple is the Deo Surya Mandir . Sun Temple of Deo is one of the most remarkable, major crowd-puller and notable temple and religious place in Deo, Bihar , India for chhath puja. Deo Sun Temple Built in during the 8th century. In Tamil Nadu , Navagraha temples are world famous. Suryanar kovil situated in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu
3255-430: Is stated to be Aruṇa who is seated. Two females typically flank him, who represent the dawn goddesses named Usha and Pratyusha. The goddesses are shown to be shooting arrows, a symbolism for their initiative to challenge darkness. In other representations, these goddesses are Surya's two wives, Samjna and Chhaya . He had two other wives according to some texts, Rajni and Prabha. Aniconic symbols of Surya include
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3360-618: Is the Sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism . He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a means to realise Brahman . Other names of Surya in ancient Indian literature include Aditya , Arka , Bhanu , Savitr , Pushan , Ravi , Martanda , Mitra , Bhaskara , Prabhakara , Kathiravan , and Vivasvan . The iconography of Surya
3465-724: Is the lord of Simha (Leo), one of the twelve constellations in the zodiac system of Hindu astrology . Surya or Ravi is the basis of Ravivara , or Sunday , in the Hindu calendar. Major festivals and pilgrimages in reverence for Surya include Makar Sankranti , Pongal , Samba Dashami , Ratha Saptami , Chath puja , and Kumbha Mela . He is particularly venerated in the Saura and Smarta traditions found in Indian states such as Rajasthan , Gujarat , Madhya Pradesh , Bihar , Maharashtra , Uttar Pradesh , Jharkhand , and Odisha . Having survived as
3570-501: Is typically shown as a resplendent standing person holding a lotus flower in both hands, riding a chariot pulled by one or more horses typically seven. The seven horses are named after the seven meters of Sanskrit prosody : Gayatri, Brihati, Ushnih, Jagati, Trishtubha, Anushtubha and Pankti. The Brihat Samhita of Varaha Mihira ( c. 505–587 ), a Hindu text that describes architecture, iconography and design guidelines, states that Surya should be shown with two hands and wearing
3675-670: The Chaulukya dynasty . Other major Surya temples are found in Kanakaditya Temple in Kasheli (Dist ratnagiri) – Maharashtra , near the famous Galtaji 's temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan and Assam . Adithyapuram Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located in Iravimangalam near Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala dedicated to Surya. It is noted as the only Surya shrine in
3780-511: The Devas win over Asuras who use darkness. Arka, Mitra, Vivasvat, Aditya, Tapan, Ravi and Surya have different characteristics in early mythologies, but by the time of the epics they are synonymous. The term "Arka" is found more commonly in temple names of north India and in the eastern parts of India. The 11th century Konark Temple in Odisha is named after a composite word "Kona and Arka", or "Arka in
3885-520: The Hindu temples related to Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, and Shakti. Reliefs on temple walls, forts and artwork above doorways of many Hindu monasteries feature Surya. Many of the temples that contain Surya icons and artwork are dated to the second half of the 1st millennium BCE and early centuries of the 2nd millennium. The 11th-century Vaishnava temple at Kadwaha in Madhya Pradesh, for example, features
3990-571: The Kerala state. The Martand Sun Temple in Jammu and Kashmir was destroyed by Islamic armies. A surviving Surya temple in northern India is Kattarmal Surya mandir in Almora District , Uttarakhand created by King Kattarmal in the 12th century. The Gurjars were essentially sun worshipers and some of the sun temples were erected by them during the medieval period. The sun temple known as Jayaditya
4095-542: The March equinox , indicating that at that moment the solar declination is crossing the celestial equator in a northward direction, and southward equinox for the September equinox , indicating that at that moment the solar declination is crossing the celestial equator in a southward direction. Daytime is increasing at the fastest at the vernal equinox and decreasing at the fastest at the autumnal equinox. Systematically observing
4200-502: The Narathara , there is a band with figures of dancers and gods known as rajasena . The next is vedi which correspond to jangha of mandovara decorated with large panels of gods, goddesses, and floral designs. The next is cornice called asinot . It followed by kakshasana which slopes outwards and forms the back-rests of the bench, asana which runs around the hall. There are erotic figures on it interrupted by rail-patterns. The roof
4305-510: The Ramayana 's Yuddha Kanda, Rama was taught the Ādityahṛdayam stotra before his war against Ravana , the king of the rakshasas . The stotra was composed in Anushtup Chanda in praise of Surya, who is described as the embodiment of all gods and the origin of everything in the universe. The Mahabharata epic opens its chapter on Surya that reverentially calls him as the "eye of the universe, soul of all existence, origin of all life, goal of
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4410-464: The Samkhyas and Yogis , and symbolism for freedom and spiritual emancipation. In the Mahabharata , Karna is the son of Surya and unmarried princess Kunti . The epic describes Kunti's trauma as an unmarried mother, then abandonment of Karna, followed by her lifelong grief. Baby Karna is found and adopted by a charioteer but he grows up to become the greatest warrior and one of the central heroes of
4515-455: The Sanxingdui culture founded c. 1600 BCE , about 40 km from present day Chengdu , capital city of Sichuan province China reveal an ancient worship of sun-deity, similar to Surya. The artifacts include a gold sheet with design of four birds flying around the sun deity, and a bronze sculpture of the surya-chakra. Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when
4620-766: The Shaka era with the Saka , or Scythian, people. Additionally the contributions by the Saka people would be the basis of the Indian national calendar , which is also called the Saka calendar. The Hindu calendar is a Lunisolar calendar which records both lunar and solar cycles. Like the Navagraha, it was developed with the successive contributions of various works. Surya temples are found in many parts of India. More common than Surya temples are artwork related to Surya, which are found in all types of temples of various traditions within Hinduism, such as
4725-454: The Sun crosses the Earth's equator , which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and set "due west". This occurs twice each year, around 20 March and 23 September . More precisely, an equinox is traditionally defined as the time when the plane of Earth 's equator passes through
4830-519: The atmospheric refraction is assumed to be 34 arcminutes, and the assumed semidiameter (apparent radius ) of the Sun is 16 arcminutes . (The apparent radius varies slightly depending on time of year, slightly larger at perihelion in January than aphelion in July , but the difference is comparatively small.) Their combination means that when the upper limb of the Sun is on the visible horizon, its centre
4935-497: The date of Easter , which means he wanted to move the vernal equinox to the date on which it fell at that time (21 March is the day allocated to it in the Easter table of the Julian calendar), and to maintain it at around that date in the future, which he achieved by reducing the number of leap years from 100 to 97 every 400 years. However, there remained a small residual variation in
5040-435: The sunrise , people discovered that it occurs between two extreme locations at the horizon and eventually noted the midpoint between the two. Later it was realized that this happens on a day when the duration of the day and the night are practically equal and the word "equinox" comes from Latin aequus , meaning "equal", and nox , meaning "night". In the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox (March) conventionally marks
5145-424: The "rising sun" and its symbolism as dispeller of darkness, one who empowers knowledge, the good and all life. However, the usage is context specific. In some hymns, the word Surya simply means Sun as an inanimate object, a stone or a gem in the sky (Rigvedic hymns 5.47, 6.51 and 7.63); while in others it refers to a personified deity. Surya is prominently associated with the dawn goddess Ushas and sometimes, he
5250-419: The 5th century Aryabhatiya by Aryabhata , the 6th century Romaka by Latadeva and Panca Siddhantika by Varahamihira, the 7th century Khandakhadyaka by Brahmagupta and the 8th century Sisyadhivrddida by Lalla. These texts present Surya and various planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion. Other texts such as Surya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between
5355-411: The 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets with deity mythologies. The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Surya- and planets-based calculation and its relative motion to earth. These vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives. For example, the 10th century BCE Hindu scholars had estimated
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#17328510823205460-716: The Atman (soul, self) within, in texts such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad , Chandogya Upanishad , Kaushitaki Upanishad and others. Surya in Indian literature is referred to by various names, which typically represent different aspects or phenomenological characteristics of the Sun. The figure of Surya as we know him today is an amalgamation of various different Rigvedic deities. Thus, Savitr refers to one that rises and sets, Aditya means one with splendor, Mitra refers to Sun as "the great luminous friend of all mankind", while Pushan refers to Sun as illuminator that helped
5565-474: The Earth's shadow because Earth's axis is not directly perpendicular to a line from the Earth to the Sun at other times. During the equinox, since geostationary satellites are situated above the Equator, they are in Earth's shadow for the longest duration all year. Equinoxes are defined on any planet with a tilted rotational axis. A dramatic example is Saturn, where the equinox places its ring system edge-on facing
5670-521: The North Pole is 18 March 07:09 UTC, and sunset on the South Pole is 22 March 13:08 UTC. Also in 2021, sunrise on the South Pole is 20 September 16:08 UTC, and sunset on the North Pole is 24 September 22:30 UTC. In other words, the equinoxes are the only times when the subsolar point is on the equator, meaning that the Sun is exactly overhead at a point on the equatorial line. The subsolar point crosses
5775-421: The Sun, atmospheric refraction , and the rapidly changing duration of the length of day that occurs at most latitudes around the equinoxes. Long before conceiving this equality, equatorial cultures noted the day when the Sun rises due east and sets due west , and indeed this happens on the day closest to the astronomically defined event. As a consequence, according to a properly constructed and aligned sundial ,
5880-619: The Sun. Surya is a part of the Navagraha in Hindu zodiac system. The role and importance of the Navagraha developed over time with various influences. Deifying the sun and its astrological significance occurred as early as the Vedic period and was recorded in the Vedas . The earliest work of astrology recorded in India is the Vedanga Jyotisha which began to be compiled in the 14th century BCE. It
5985-450: The Sun. As a result, they are visible only as a thin line when seen from Earth. When seen from above – a view seen during an equinox for the first time from the Cassini space probe in 2009 – they receive very little sunshine ; indeed, they receive more planetshine than light from the Sun. This phenomenon occurs once every 14.7 years on average, and can last a few weeks before and after
6090-403: The Sun. It is only after a complete Gregorian leap-year cycle of 400 years that the seasons commence at approximately the same time. In the 21st century the earliest March equinox will be 19 March 2096, while the latest was 21 March 2003. The earliest September equinox will be 21 September 2096 while the latest was 23 September 2003 ( Universal Time ). On the date of
6195-625: The Swastika and the ring-stone. In various texts including Mahabharata , Suryasataka , or Prasasti of Vatsabhatti, Surya is depicted as being worshipped by a host of semi-divine beings. These beings, namely Siddhas , Charanas , Gandharvas , Yaksas , Guhyakas , and the Nagas , desirous of obtaining boons, follow the course of Surya's chariot through the sky. Surya as an important heavenly body appears in various Indian astronomical texts in Sanskrit , such as
6300-461: The base has the two square members called Bhat followed by a cyma recta carving (lower part convex and upper part concave). It is followed by padma or padmaka , the molding in form of an inverted lotus. The next is antarita , a fillet or an astragal with a sharp edge between two recesses. Above this is patta having thin molding called chhaja at its lower edge. The next is another chhaja separated by neck, alinga . The next broad band, patti ,
6405-595: The beginning of spring in most cultures and is considered the start of the New Year in the Assyrian calendar , Hindu, and the Persian or Iranian calendars , while the autumnal equinox (September) marks the beginning of autumn. Ancient Greek calendars too had the beginning of the year either at the autumnal or vernal equinox and some at solstices. The Antikythera mechanism predicts the equinoxes and solstices. The equinoxes are
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#17328510823206510-448: The calendar "drifted" with respect to the two equinoxes – so that in 300 AD the spring equinox occurred on about 21 March, and by the 1580s AD it had drifted backwards to 11 March. This drift induced Pope Gregory XIII to establish the modern Gregorian calendar . The Pope wanted to continue to conform with the edicts of the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD concerning
6615-502: The coinage of Greco-Bactrian kings, such as Plato I . The iconography of Surya has varied over time. In some ancient arts, particularly from the early centuries of the common era, his iconography is similar to those found in Persia and Greece suggesting likely adoption of Greek, Iranian and Scythian influences. After the Greek and Kushan influences arrived in ancient India, some Surya icons of
6720-514: The construction. Soon after Bhima had returned to power. So the temple proper, the miniature and the niche shrines in the tank were built shortly after 1026 CE. The dancing hall was added much later in the third quarter of the 12th century along with the gateways, the porch of the temple proper and the doorframes of the temple and the cella during the reign of the Karna . The temple is built on 23.6° latitude (approximately near Tropic of Cancer ). The place
6825-686: The corner". Other Surya temples named after Arka include Devarka (Deva teertha) and Ularka (Ulaar) in Bihar, Uttararka and Lolarka in Uttar Pradesh , and Balarka in Rajasthan . Another 10th-century sun temple ruin is in Bahraich , Uttar Pradesh named Balarka Surya Mandir, which was destroyed in the 14th century during the Turkish invasions. Vivasvat, also known as Vivasvant, is also one such of these deities. His wife
6930-505: The creator of the material universe ( Prakriti ). In the layers of Vedic texts, Surya is one of the several trinities along with Agni and either Vayu or Indra , which are presented as an equivalent icon and aspect of the Hindu metaphysical concept called the Brahman . In the Brahmanas layer of Vedic literature, Surya appears with Agni (fire god) in the same hymns. Surya is revered for
7035-457: The date and time of the vernal equinox of about ±27 hours from its mean position, virtually all because the distribution of 24 hour centurial leap-days causes large jumps (see Gregorian calendar leap solstice ). The dates of the equinoxes change progressively during the leap-year cycle, because the Gregorian calendar year is not commensurate with the period of the Earth's revolution about
7140-693: The day, while Agni for its role during the night. The idea evolves, states Kapila Vatsyayan, where Surya is stated to be Agni as the first principle and the seed of the universe. It is in the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas, and the Upanishads that Surya is explicitly linked to the power of sight, to visual perception and knowledge. He is then interiorized to be the eye as ancient Hindu sages suggested abandonment of external rituals to gods in favor of internal reflections and meditation of gods within, in one's journey to realize
7245-558: The daytime duration is 12 hours. In the Northern Hemisphere , the March equinox is called the vernal or spring equinox while the September equinox is called the autumnal or fall equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere , the reverse is true. During the year, equinoxes alternate with solstices . Leap years and other factors cause the dates of both events to vary slightly. Hemisphere-neutral names are northward equinox for
7350-433: The equator moving northward at the March equinox and southward at the September equinox. When Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar in 45 BC, he set 25 March as the date of the spring equinox; this was already the starting day of the year in the Persian and Indian calendars. Because the Julian year is longer than the tropical year by about 11.3 minutes on average (or 1 day in 128 years),
7455-428: The equinox, the center of the Sun spends a roughly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth, so night and day are about the same length. Sunrise and sunset can be defined in several ways, but a widespread definition is the time that the top limb of the Sun is level with the horizon. With this definition, the day is longer than the night at the equinoxes: In sunrise/sunset tables,
7560-506: The equinox; the Angkor Wat Equinox during which the sun rises in a perfect alignment over Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one such example. Catholic churches , since the recommendations of Charles Borromeo , have often chosen the equinox as their reference point for the orientation of churches . One effect of equinoctial periods is the temporary disruption of communications satellites . For all geostationary satellites, there are
7665-461: The equinoxes are currently defined to be when the apparent geocentric longitude of the Sun is 0° and 180°. The word is derived from the Latin aequinoctium , from aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the day of an equinox, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. Contrary to popular belief, they are not exactly equal because of the angular size of
7770-466: The equinoxes. The equinoxes are sometimes regarded as the start of spring and autumn. A number of traditional harvest festivals are celebrated on the date of the equinoxes. People in countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan celebrate Nowruz which is spring equinox in northern hemisphere. This day marks the new year in Solar Hijri calendar . Religious architecture is often determined by
7875-497: The floor. The shaft is square in shape to half of its height followed by the vase and then followed by an octagonal shaft. It is surmounted by a capital and a bracket. The square part has a floral design in a circle on each side of the face. The vase is decorated similarly on its corners. The octagonal part has four bands; the topmost has kirtimukha . The capital has three annulets. They arise from square or octagonal base, kumbhi , with triangular ornamentation on each face. Above it
7980-568: The geometric center of the Sun 's disk. Equivalently, this is the moment when Earth's rotation axis is directly perpendicular to the Sun-Earth line, tilting neither toward nor away from the Sun. In modern times , since the Moon (and to a lesser extent the planets) causes Earth's orbit to vary slightly from a perfect ellipse , the equinox is officially defined by the Sun's more regular ecliptic longitude rather than by its declination . The instants of
8085-709: The great war of Kurukshetra . Earliest representations of Surya riding a chariot occur in the Buddhist railings of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya (2nd century BCE), in the Bhaja Caves (1st century BCE), and the Jain cave of Ananta Gumpha in Khandagiri (1st century CE). They follow similar depiction of the chariot-riding god Helios of Hellenistic mythology, as appearing for example on
8190-511: The ground level and located on the second kuta of stepwell may belong to tenth century. The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat organises an annual three-day dance festival known as Uttarardha Mahotsav at the temple during the third week of January, following the festival of Uttarayan . The objective is to present classical dance forms in an atmosphere similar to that in which they were originally presented. Letitia Elizabeth Landon 's poetical illustration Hindoo and Mahommedan Buildings refers to
8295-467: The images on the door-lintel are completely destroyed. The sanctum sanctorum is designed in a way that the first rays of rising sun lit up the image of Surya during solar equinox days and on summer solstice day, the sun shines directly above the temple at noon casting no shadow. The outer walls of the shrine is highly decorated. The base and walls of the shrine and hall are divided into several stretches with unique carvings. The Pitha or adhisthana ,
8400-449: The inscription is upside down, it evidences the destruction and reconstruction of the cella. Due to the position of the inscription, it is not firmly considered as the date of construction. On the stylistic ground, it is known that the Kunda with its corner shrines was built earlier at the beginning of the 11th century. The inscription is considered as the date of destruction by Ghazni instead of
8505-520: The miniature shrines. It is judged by the shrines on the steps of Kunda . The Mandapa , a hall was roofed by a dome which probably rose in a concentric manner. It is supported by eight principal pillars below arranged in an octagon, four pillars in front of shrine proper and two each in the recesses of windows and door. Sabhamandapa or Rangamandapa , the assembly hall or dancing hall is parallelogram in plan with rows of pillars opening entrance on each side diagonally. The extensively carved exterior has
8610-455: The only times when the solar terminator (the "edge" between night and day) is perpendicular to the equator. As a result, the northern and southern hemispheres are equally illuminated. For the same reason, this is also the time when the Sun rises for an observer at one of Earth's rotational poles and sets at the other. For a brief period lasting approximately four days, both North and South Poles are in daylight. For example, in 2021 sunrise on
8715-696: The other, but present them independently and with equal emphasis in a complex iconography. Cave temples of India, similarly, dedicated to different gods and goddesses feature Surya. For example, the 6th century carvings in the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra as well as the 8th and 9th century artworks there, such as Cave 25, the Kailasha Temple (Cave 16) and others feature complete iconography of Surya. Hindu temples predominantly have their primary entrance facing east, and their square principle based architecture
8820-432: The outer wall of Gudhamandapa had windows on each side and the east projection had the doorway. These windows had perforated stone screens; the northern is in ruins and the southern is missing. Pradakshinamarga is formed by the passage between the walls of Garbhgriha and the outer walls of Gudhamandapa . The roof of passage has stones slabs carved with rosettes. The Shikhara of it no longer exists. The Garbhagriha ,
8925-417: The outer wall of Gudhamandapa . The figures of Surya is in standing position with two arms holding lotuses and driven by seven horses. It has some Persian influences. The walls have 12 niches showing the different aspects of Surya in each month. Other figures include eight Dikpals, Vishwakarma , Varuna , Agni , Ganesha , and Saraswati . Every figure in the panel has a small cornice over it surmounted with
9030-479: The pantheon of ideas adopted early in these regions and retained after Buddhism became the dominant tradition. In Kabul Khair Khāna , there is a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya, of two distinct periods. The first period consisted of a mud-brick temple with possible human sacrifice remains dedicating it. This was then superseded by three distinct sanctuaries built of schist slabs, surrounded by subsidiary buildings of diaper masonry construction and an open-air altar in
9135-642: The period that followed show him wearing a cloak and high boots . In some Buddhist artwork, his chariot is shown as being pulled by four horses. The doors of Buddhist monasteries of Nepal show him, along with the Chandra (moon god), symbolically with Surya depicted as a red circle with rays. In Hindu context, the sun-god only appears at a later period, as in the Virūpākṣa temple in Paṭṭadakal (8th century CE). The iconography of Surya in Hinduism varies with its texts. He
9240-546: The prominent deities of Vishnu or Shiva , or seen as subsidiary to them. The Sun and the Earth The Sun causes day and night on the earth, because of revolution, when there is night here, it is day on the other side, the sun does not really rise or sink. — Aitareya Brahmana III.44 (Rigveda) The oldest surviving Vedic hymns, such as the hymn 1.115 of the Rigveda , mention Sūrya with particular reverence for
9345-431: The reservoir. It is rectangular. It measures 176 feet from north to south and 120 feet from east to west. It is paved with stones all around. There are four terraces and recessed steps to descend to reach the bottom of the tank. The main entrance lies on west. There are steps to reach from one terrace to another on right angle to terrace. These steps are rectangular or square except the first step of each flight of steps which
9450-578: The rests. the eight stilted pillars have one more shaft and similar type of capital which is crowned with brackets of volutes and pendant leaves. The panels on the Gudhamandapa is decorated with Surya centrally which indicates that the temple is dedicated to Surya. These images wears peculiar West Asian (Persian) boots and belt. The other corners and niches are decorated with figures of Shiva and Vishnu in various forms, Brahma , Nāga and goddesses. The depicted scenes on small flat ceilings and lintels of sabhamandapa are from epics like Ramayana . There
9555-481: The round pillow-like band. It is followed by a still smaller band with sixteen standing human figures separated by small annulet below. The next is a band of leaves. Then the shaft becomes circular and had three or four bands having a row of male warriors, lozenges, circles and kirtimukha at last. The kirtimukha s are separated by chain and bell ornamentation. It follows capital similar to small pillars crowned with makara brackets if eight stilted pillar and dwarfs in
9660-510: The shrine hall; Sabhamanḍapa , the assembly hall and Kunḍa , the reservoir. The halls have intricately carved exterior and pillars. The reservoir has steps to reach the bottom and numerous small shrines. Sun Temple of Modhera was earlier a part of Patan District in 2011 and later it was made a part of Mehsana District . The shrine proper of the Sun Temple was built during the reign of Bhima I of Chaulukya dynasty . Earlier, during 1024–1025, Mahmud of Ghazni had invaded Bhima's kingdom, and
9765-470: The shrine proper ( garbhagriha ) in a hall ( gudhamandapa ), the outer or assembly hall ( sabhamandapa or rangamandapa ) and a sacred reservoir ( kunda ). The Sabhamandapa is not in continuation with Gudhamandapa but is placed little away as a separate structure. Both are built on a paved platform. Their roofs collapsed long ago leaving behind a few lower-most courses. Both roofs are 15' 9" in diameter but are constructed differently. The platform or plinth
9870-519: The shrine proper or sanctum sanctorum is square measuring 11 feet from inside. The shrine had two cells; a cell below the level of the upper cell. The floor of the upper cell is now fallen which once housed the image of a deity. The seat of the image is now in a pit. The lower cell was probably used for storage. The walls inside the shrine are plain and the outer wall is decorated. The doorway has carved figures of seated Surya in panels surrounded by dancers and amorous couples. All figures are mutilated and
9975-578: The sidereal length of a year as follows, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results: The oldest of these is likely to be the Surya Siddhanta , while the most accurate is the Siddhanta Shiromani . Surya's synonym Ravi is the root of the word 'Ravivara' or Sunday in the Hindu calendar. In both Indian and Greek-Roman nomenclature for days of the week, the Sunday is dedicated to
10080-563: The time of his earliest appearance (the Rigveda), Vivasvat had declined in importance. He was likely a solar deity, but scholars debate his specific role as one. In the Rigveda, Indra drinks Soma alongside Manu Vivasvat and Trita . In post-Vedic literature, Vivasvat further declines in importance, and is merely another name for the sun. He is cognate to the Avestan Vivanhvant, who is the father of Yima (cognate to Yama) and Manu. As per
10185-471: The transition from lunar calendar of north India to solar calendar of south India can be seen in the local culture . This is probably the eastern most coastal sun temple in the peninsular India, where prayers are offered until date. The place, Chicacole , has a significance in the Kalinga (historical region) kingdom with their port at Kalingapatnam , making it to Megasthenes dairy ( Calingae ). The diaspora
10290-482: The year around the equinoxes. In the mid-latitudes, daylight increases or decreases by about three minutes per day at the equinoxes, and thus adjacent days and nights only reach within one minute of each other. The date of the closest approximation of the equilux varies slightly by latitude; in the mid-latitudes, it occurs a few days before the spring equinox and after the fall equinox in each respective hemisphere. Mirror-image conjugate auroras have been observed during
10395-459: Was a kirti-torana , the triumphant arch, in front of sabhamandapa . The pediment and torana no longer exists but two pillars remains. The moulding and decoration is similar to that of walls of sabhamandapa and pillars. There were two more kirti-torana on each side of the kunda of which only one exists without upper part. Kunda , a tank or reservoir is known as Ramakunda or Suryakunda . The flight of steps through kirti-torana leads to
10500-496: Was constructed by Gurjar king of Nandipuri , Jayabhatta II. This temple is situated at Kotipura near Kapika in the Bharukachha district. The Surya temple of Bhinmal known as Jagaswami Surya temple was also erected during this period. The Sun Temple of Multan (in modern-day Pakistan) contained a revered statue of Surya. It was one of the focal points of Hindu-Muslim religious conflicts. After 871 BCE, Multan (Panjab)
10605-667: Was furthered by additional contributions from Western Asia , including Zoroastrian and Hellenistic influences. The Yavanajataka , or 'Science of the Yavanas ', was written by the Indo-Greek named " Yavanesvara " ("Lord of the Greeks") under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa king Rudrakarman I . The Yavanajataka written in 120 BCE is often attributed to standardizing Indian astrology. The Navagraha would further develop and culminate in
10710-519: Was in shape of the stepped pyramid but it no longer exists. Inside, the walnut-shaped ceiling rises in tiers which has numerous floral girdles. It is 23 feet high. It is supported by pillars arranged in an octagon. These pillars have stilts that support the lintels. Torana or the decorated cusped arches arise from the lower brackets of the pillars and touch the lintels in middle. There are two types; semicircular and triangular. The semicircular arches have cusped arches with tips while triangular arches have
10815-717: Was later known as Sita ni Chauri and Ramkund locally. No worship is offered here now. The temple is the Monument of National Importance and is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India . It was added to the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in December 2022. The temple complex is built in Māru-Gurjara style (Chaulukya style). The temple complex has three axially aligned components;
10920-540: Was possibly based on works from the Indus Valley Civilization as well as various foreign influences. Babylonian astrology was the first to develop astrology and the calendar, and was adopted by multiple civilizations including India. The Navagraha developed from early works of astrology over time. The Sun and various classical planets were referenced in the Atharvaveda around 1000 BCE. The Navagraha
11025-467: Was under the rule by Arab princes, who kept the Surya temple hostage and desecrated it, in order to threaten its destruction if the Hindu Gurjara attacked them. The early Muslim rulers taxed Hindu pilgrims for the privilege to visit the Surya temple, and this provided these rulers an important source of revenue. The Surya temple was destroyed by Ismaili Shia rulers in the late 10th century, who built
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