Want to visit famous Sun temple but never visited yet because travelling to Eastern India from North seems so hectic and requires prior planning?
Well instead go to Gwalior and visit a replica of Sun Temple of Konark there. Sun Temple of Gwalior is dedicated to lord Surya.
Also it is a well built temple which has attracted many people in a very short span of time. Built with red sandstone and on the base of Konark Temple Odisha was constructed in 1988 by G.D. Birla.
The inside of the temple is purely made of beautiful white marbles and the outer part is carved with gods and goddesses. Not only the inside of the temple but also its surrounding is very pretty and calm.
Architecture and story of temple
After admiring the Sun Temple of Gwalior, one remembers the temple of Konark.
It is also built in the style of inverted lotus, also made in the shape of the sun mounted on a chariot, like Konark Temple (Odisha).
According to old scriptures, this temple is constructed to symbolize that Lord Surya is riding on 7 horses which reflect 7 days of the week, also 12 months of the year.
There is a beautiful statue of Lord Surya inside the Sun Temple of Gwalior which leaves one mesmerized. Here windows are made in such a way that the first and last ray of sun from early morning till evening falls on the idol of lord Surya.
The height of the temple is 76 feet 1 inch and the height of the main idol is 13 feet 2 inches inside the temple. There are 3073 idols made of red stone.
Chandrakant Balwantrao Sompura constructed this beautiful temple. Following the ancient sun worship tradition of the Gwalior city, priests of sun temple of Gwalior performs aarti precisely at sunrise and sunset.
Devotees and priests recite Stotra and sing Surya aarti to the beat of drums. All these things together create a spiritual atmosphere.
History of Sun Temple
It is clearly written in the book of the Sun Temple that Birla ji studied the history of Sun Temple himself and he found that the birthplace of the famous Suryaputra Karna comes in this princely state.
Also during the period of Mihir Kulhad, the Sun Temple was established on the fort here. The birth of king Mihir Bhoj of Gurjara Pratihara dynasty like Kunti’s attainment of Karna from Sun worship, which is contemporary of Konark temple, was done by his father Rambhadra in Gwalior.
Surya worship took the form from a boon only after pleasing the god sun. It took around 4 years to complete the full construction of the beautiful temple. 23rd January was the date when the temple saw its completion. Tapovan Garden was an initial name of this Sun Temple of Gwalior.
What would be the best time to visit Sun Temple?
Best time to visit Sun Temple of Gwalior is in winter from October to March. There are total of 20 temples (Sun Temple) in India. Also there are 2 temples in Beijing, China and Egypt as well.
And if you’re planning to visit Sun Temple of Gwalior try to visit during the aarti, this will enhance your experience. So Gwalior is not only about the Gwalior fort only, Sun temple of Gwalior is another beautiful and magnificent place to visit.
