Martand was one of the three most important temples devoted to the Sun god, along with the Modhera temple in Gujarat and the more famous Konark Temple in Odisha. Situated near Anantnag, it is now known as Mattan, which is also close to a Shiva temple that the pandits have held very sacred.
This Sun temple is a most majestic, impressive structure, though standing now in ruins. It was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty, though some claim that its foundations already existed in the 3rd to 5th centuries CE (see Qasba Raina’s Kashur The Kashmiri Speaking People 2013: 230).
A pool right in front of the garbhagriha
The “guard” who takes care of the place
The apple trees in the middle ground, the Himalayan range in the background make this place a very, very beautiful one
Our guide Nawaz told us it took one whole year for a whole army to destroy the temple; some legends claim that an iconoclast ruler (called Sikandar?) set it to fire that raged for two years but did not manage to destroy the solid structure (Qasba Raina 2013: 231). At any rate, the temple was demolished in the 15th century.
The large courtyard, the huge pillars, the minute carvings leave one spellbound.
The sun god was shining when we visited his temple, making the visit pleasant, but photography difficult with the harsh light…
The guard in that place pointed out that the carvings in the panels are those of Krishna (I can’t recall the number, but I think he mentioned 74?). Though I took many pictures, the blue Lord was to be discerned only a few times thanks to the flute he holds. The remaining sculptures have been defaced and unidentifiable to untrained eyes like mine.
The garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) stands empty…
inside the once-sacred garbhagriha
… though we can find a sculpture of the sun god on the outside panel
The Sun god
The guard also pointed out there was an inscription in an ancient script. I was unable to capture it with precision, let alone try to decipher it 😦
The children now use the temple to play hide and seek.
Playing hide and seek
As we entered the place, some curious children came in to see us; then came more of them. And then it seemed half the village came to have a peek at us, albeit discreetly. One of the kids asked my saree-clad mother what she was wearing? why? where she came from? who I was? how long we’d stay there? And she hung around the place till we left and waved us goodbye. What curious, clever children! The past glory of the temple lies in the hands of this future generation, which we can only hope will recognise and treasure it.
Curious onlookers
pathikaa 