Solar Deities in Gujarat (Art, Architecture and Contemporary Traditions)

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About the Book Gujarat occupies a significant position in our national history on account of its geographical situation and also because of its physical features which have played a vital role in maintaining the cultural ambience of hoary India. The state of Gujarat with a considerable number of Harappan sites holds an irresistible attraction for historians and scholars who are inquisitive to know about India's past. The cultural transactions between the native traditions and those of various races which arrived here owing to historical reasons, mutually modified each other and were also, in turn, affected by the native ethos. In fact, this cultural correspondence is a major component of Indian cultural heritage.

The present volume is a humble attempt at examining the archaeological sources related to Sun worship in Gujarat, the summit of which is reached in the Sun temple at Modhera. It also endeavours to take into account the changing perspectives to the solar traditions in contemporary times. It is hoped, the book will find a wide readership among the researchers and the scholars alike.

About the Author Atul Tripathi holds a Master's degree from Lucknow University and a Doctorate in Art and Architecture from Banaras Hindu University. He has extensively published research papers in national and international journals and has also presented scores of papers at conferences both in India and abroad. He is a recipient of the prestigious K.L. Bhai Shankar Dave Medal of Gujarat Itihasa Parishad and also of Professor Dolarrai Mankad Award for Excellence in Research, Saurashtra University. He started his teaching career as Lecturer at Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad in 1996 and was elevated to Readership subsequently. This volume is the outcome of his extensive field work as part of his post-doctoral research in Gujarat specifically in situ studies of temples, art remains and living Saura traditions. He is presently the Principal Investigator of a U.G.C. major research project titled "Contributions of Buddhism to Gujarat's History and Development-A Cultural Study of the Archaeological Materials from third century BCE to ninth century CE".

Dr. Tripathi has been working as an Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi since February 2008.

Preface The Sun or Surya, a natural object in the sky removing darkness of the universe by spreading light, has attracted the attention of every living being all over the world from the dawn of human existence. The primitive men witnessed the miraculous power of the Sun as the chief source of light, warmth, fertility, and its role in supporting life on earth; as a result we find many societies throughout history who have paid homage to the Sun by giving it prominent roles in their religions and mythologies. From the beginning of the Neolithic period, it has attained the prime position among the deities of nature and later on it also acted as their clock. They exhibited their emotions through various drawing and design to symbolize the Sun who acted as their god and they worshipped it. It is evidently known that till today, every age and every race accepted the Sun as the soul of the universe. Many of the great cities of the ancient world were known as "The City of the Sun." In India also, names of the many settlements including that of Surat, the commercial capital of Gujarat, is believed to have originated from Surya i.e. Sun god.

Sun worshipping existed in India from early times down to the present day. It is interesting to note that while the primitive men drew the shape of Sun by means of lines and diagrams to appease the Sun, the proto-historic men because of their superior understanding and intelligence expressed their appreciation towards the Sun through various figures of objects symbolizing the Sun. We find continuity in the Sun worship in one form or the other, all over the world. Even today, in India a religious Hindu is supposed to recite the "Gayatri mantra" (prayer) every morning in praise of the Sun god and offer water to it. Several Indian communities including royal dynasties believe themselves as the descendents of the Sun god Surya. A number of ancient temples and kundas dedicated to the Sun god had been built in India from time to time, among these the Sun temple at Modhera and Konarka are well-known for their artistic features and their alignment with the solar phenomena.

Gujarat is notable for its rich Saura traditions and art heritage. In the Saurashtra region there are many folklore and mythological stories associated with the deity and his family members, originated at different times in history which are still alive. The worship of the Sun and his consort Ranjni, locally known as Ranna Devi or Ravi Randala Wad is still met within the folk life of the people. The deity is considered as the daughter of the great architect Visvakarma and hence, the artisans and craftsman of the region consider themselves as the descendents of Visvakarma and recognize her as their phoi (aunt).

Book's Contents and Sample Pages