SUN TEMPLE,

MODHERA, GUJARAT

After Chalukya ruler Bhima I’s troops withstood an attack by Mahmud of Ghazni during 1024-1025, their king is said to have commissioned this temple. It has been plundered over the years—the golden idol of the Sun God is no longer found in the garbha griha—but the intricate erotic and mythological carvings make the place unmissable. While the Sabha Mandap here stands on 52 pillars, signifying the 52 weeks in a year, the Surya Kunda, shaped like a stepwell, is meant to signify the union of fire and water. Among sun temples, Konark and Kashmir’s Martand grab all headlines, but it’s at Modhera that one truly sees the light.