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{{short description|Hindu temple in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India}}
{{Short description|Hindu temple in Jammu and Kashmir, India}}
{{about|a Hindu temple in India|a list of sun temples in the world|sun temple}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name                  = Martand Sun Temple
| name                  = Martand Sun Temple
Line 8: Line 7:
| caption              = Central shrine of the temple ruins
| caption              = Central shrine of the temple ruins
| map_type              = India Jammu and Kashmir#India
| map_type              = India Jammu and Kashmir#India
| map_caption          = Location within Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir##Location within India
| map_caption          = Location within Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir##Location within India
| coordinates          = {{coord|33|44|44|N|75|13|13|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates          = {{coord|33|44|44|N|75|13|13|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name          =  
| native_name          =  
| country              = [[India]]
| country              = {{flag|India}}
| state                = [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| state                = {{flagicon image|Government of Jammu and Kashmir.svg}} [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| district              = [[Anantnag district]]
| district              = [[Anantnag district]]
| location              = [[Kashmir division]]
| location              = [[Mattan, Jammu and Kashmir|Mattan]]
| elevation_m          =  
| elevation_m          =  
| deity                = [[Mārtanda|Martand]] (''[[Surya]]'')
| deity                = [[Surya]] (''[[Mārtanda|Martand]]'')
| temple_quantity      =  
| temple_quantity      =  
| monument_quantity    =  
| monument_quantity    =  
| inscriptions          =  
| inscriptions          =  
| year_completed        = 8th century AD
| year_completed        = 8th century CE
| creator              = [[Lalitaditya Muktapida]]
| creator              = [[Lalitaditya Muktapida]]
| website              =  
| website              =  
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| date_demolished      = 15th century CE
| date_demolished      = 15th century CE
| architecture_type    = [[Ancient Indian architecture|Ancient Indian]]}}
| architecture_type    = [[Ancient Indian architecture|Ancient Indian]]}}
The '''Martand Sun Temple''' is an eighth century (CE) [[Hindu temple]] attributed to [[Lalitaditya Muktapida]] of the [[Karkota dynasty]]. The temple is located near the city of [[Anantnag]] in the [[Kashmir Valley]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)]], India. It was dedicated to [[Surya]], the chief [[solar deity]] in [[Hinduism]]; Surya is also known by the [[Sanskrit]]-language synonym ''[[Mārtanda|Martand]]'' ({{Lang-sa|मार्तण्ड|translit=Mārtaṇḍa|label=none}}). The temple was destroyed by the [[Muslim]] ruler [[Sikandar Shah Miri]] in an effort to [[Islamise]] the [[Kashmir valley]].<ref name=":152">{{Cite book |last=Pandit |first=Kashinath |url=https://archive.org/details/AChronicleOfMedievalKashmirKashinathPandit |title=Baharistan-i-shahi: A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir |publisher=Firma KLM Pvt. Ltd. |year=1991 |location=Kolkata}}</ref><ref name=":62">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/543660 |title=Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia |date=19 August 2019 |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-063168-5 |location= |pages=128–160 |language=en |chapter=Buddhism and Islam in Kashmir as Represented by Rājataraṅgiṇī Authors |doi=10.1515/9783110631685-006 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/book/9783110631685/10.1515/9783110631685-006.xml |s2cid=204477165}}</ref> Martand Sun Temple is one of the three holiest sites of pilgrimage for Kashmiri Pandits, alongside the [[Sharada Peeth]] and the Amarnath Temple.
 
'''The Martand Sun Temple''' is a [[Hindu temple]] located in [[Mattan, Jammu and Kashmir|Mattan]], in the [[Anantnag district]] of the [[Kashmir Valley]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India. It dates back to the eighth century CE and was dedicated to [[Surya]], the [[solar deity]] in [[Hinduism]]; Surya is also known by the [[Sanskrit]]-language synonym ''[[Mārtanda|Martand]]'' ({{Langx|sa|मार्तण्ड|translit=Mārtaṇḍa|label=none}}). The temple was destroyed by [[Sikandar Shah Miri]].


==History==
==History==


=== Establishment ===
=== Establishment ===
According to Kalhana, the Martand Sun Temple was commissioned by [[Lalitaditya Muktapida]] in the eighth century AD.
According to Kalhana, the Martand Sun Temple was commissioned by [[Lalitaditya Muktapida]] in the eighth century CE.


=== Destruction ===
=== Destruction ===
According to [[Jonaraja]] (fl. 1430) as well as Hasan Ali, the temple was destroyed by [[Sikandar Shah Miri]] (1389-1413) in a zeal to Islamise the society under the advice of Sufi preacher Mir Muhammad Hamadani;{{efn|Son of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (1314-1384), a Sufi preacher of the [[Kubrawiya|Kubrawiya order]] who had migrated from Huttalàn (present-day [[Tajikistan]]) in the wake of Timurid invasions to Shibu'd-Din's Kashmir.}}<ref name=":152"/><ref name=":62"/><ref name=":82">{{Cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |last2=Slaje |first2=Walter |date=2016 |title=Review of Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD1148–1459). From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn. Critically Edited by Walter Slaje with an Annotated Translation, Indexes and Maps. [Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis 7], SlajeWalter |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26546259 |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=393–401 |doi=10.1163/15728536-05903009 |issn=0019-7246 |jstor=26546259}}</ref><ref name=":1322">{{Cite book |last=Bhan |first=Jawahar Lal |title=Kashmir Sculptures: An Iconographical Study of Brāhmanical Sculptures |publisher=Readworthy Publications |year=2010 |volume=1 |location=Delhi, India |pages=68–69}}</ref> Jonaraja pinned the blame on his chief-counsel Suhabhatta, a Brahman neo-convert who was held to have manifested a reign of intense persecution for the local Hindus whereas Ali particularly affirmed Sikandar's own convictions in these aspects.<ref name=":152"/><ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.academia.edu/42710523 |title=Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD 1148‒1459) From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-'Ābidīn |publisher= |year=2014 |isbn=978-3869770888 |series=Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 7 |location=Germany |pages=28–29, 36, 155–173, 185–189, 201–203, 213–215}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/543660 |title=Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia |date=19 August 2019 |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-063168-5 |location= |pages= 128–160|language=en |chapter=Buddhism and Islam in Kashmir as Represented by Rājataraṅgiṇī Authors |doi=10.1515/9783110631685-006 |s2cid=204477165 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/book/9783110631685/10.1515/9783110631685-006.xml}}</ref>
According to [[Jonaraja]] (fl. 1430) as well as Hasan Ali, the temple was destroyed by [[Sikandar Shah Miri]] (1389-1413) in a zeal to Islamise society under the advice of Sufi preacher Mir Muhammad Hamadani;{{efn|Son of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (1314-1384), a Sufi preacher of the [[Kubrawiya|Kubrawiya order]] who had migrated from Huttalàn (present-day [[Tajikistan]]) in the wake of Timurid invasions to Shibu'd-Din's Kashmir.}} Jonaraja pinned the blame on his chief-counsel Suhabhatta, a Brahman neo-convert who was held to have manifested a reign of intense persecution for the local Hindus, whereas Ali particularly affirmed Sikandar's convictions in these aspects.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.academia.edu/42710523 |title=Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD 1148‒1459) From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-'Ābidīn |publisher= |year=2014 |isbn=978-3869770888 |series=Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 7 |location=Germany |pages=28–29, 36, 155–173, 185–189, 201–203, 213–215}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite book |last=Pandit |first=Kashinath |url=https://archive.org/details/AChronicleOfMedievalKashmirKashinathPandit |title=Baharistan-i-shahi: A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir |publisher=Firma KLM Pvt. Ltd. |year=1991 |location=Kolkata}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/543660 |title=Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia |date=19 August 2019 |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-063168-5 |location= |pages= 128–160|language=en |chapter=Buddhism and Islam in Kashmir as Represented by Rājataraṅgiṇī Authors |doi=10.1515/9783110631685-006 |s2cid=204477165 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/view/book/9783110631685/10.1515/9783110631685-006.xml}}</ref>


[[File:Restored Martand Sun temple India 1870.jpg|thumb|Restored impression by J. Duguid (1870–73)]]
Scholars caution against accepting these sources at face value — Jonaraja was appointed by Sikandar's son, who sought to bring back the Brahminical elite into the royal fold, while later Muslim chroniclers had their motives to fit the past into an idealist tale of orthodox Islamic morality. According to [[Chitralekha Zutshi]] and [[Richard G. Salomon (professor of Asian studies)|Richard G. Salomon]], Sikandar's policies were guided by [[realpolitik]]<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |last2=Slaje |first2=Walter |date=2016 |title=Review of Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD1148–1459). From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn. Critically Edited by Walter Slaje with an Annotated Translation, Indexes and Maps. [Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis 7], SlajeWalter |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26546259 |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=393–401 |doi=10.1163/15728536-05903009 |jstor=26546259 |issn=0019-7246|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and, like with the previous Hindu rulers, an attempt to secure political legitimacy by asserting state power over Brahmans and gaining access to wealth controlled by Brahminical institutions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Zutshi |first=Chitralekha |title=This book claims to expose the myths behind Kashmir's history. It exposes its own biases instead |url=https://scroll.in/article/855050/this-book-claims-to-expose-the-myths-behind-kashmirs-history-it-exposes-its-own-biases-instead |access-date=1 February 2021 |website=Scroll.in |date=24 October 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> J. L. Bhan notes a stone sculpture—a four-armed Brahma, sculpted by the son of a Buddhist ''Sanghapati'' and dedicated to Sikandar—to challenge simplistic notions of religious persecution.<ref name=":132">{{Cite book |last=Bhan |first=Jawahar Lal |title=Kashmir Sculptures: An Iconographical Study of Brāhmanical Sculptures |publisher=Readworthy Publications |year=2010 |volume=1 |location=Delhi, India |pages=68–69}}</ref> Slaje disagrees about the absence of religious motivations but notes the aversion of Brahmin chroniclers to be, largely, the result of resistance to the gradual disintegration of caste-hierarchy under Muslim influence.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.academia.edu/42709412 |title=Brahma's Curse : Facets of Political and Social Violence in Premodern Kashmir |publisher= |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-86977-199-1 |series=Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 13 |location= |pages=30–40 |chapter=What Does it Mean to Smash an Idol? Iconoclasm in Medieval Kashmir as Reflected by Contemporaneous Sanskrit Sources}}</ref>
Jonaraja was appointed by Sikandar's son, who sought to bring back the Brahminical elite into the royal fold while later Muslim chroniclers had their motives to fit the past into an idealist tale of orthodox Islamic morality. According to [[Chitralekha Zutshi]] and [[Richard G. Salomon (professor of Asian studies)|Richard G. Salomon]], Sikandar's policies were guided by [[realpolitik]]<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |last2=Slaje |first2=Walter |date=2016 |title=Review of Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD1148–1459). From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn. Critically Edited by Walter Slaje with an Annotated Translation, Indexes and Maps. [Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis 7], SlajeWalter |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26546259 |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=393–401 |doi=10.1163/15728536-05903009 |jstor=26546259 |issn=0019-7246}}</ref> and, like with the previous Hindu rulers, an attempt to secure political legitimacy by asserting state power over Brahmans and gaining access to wealth controlled by Brahminical institutions.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |last1=Zutshi |first1=Chitralekha |title=This book claims to expose the myths behind Kashmir’s history. It exposes its own biases instead |url=https://scroll.in/article/855050/this-book-claims-to-expose-the-myths-behind-kashmirs-history-it-exposes-its-own-biases-instead |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Scroll.in |date=24 October 2017}}</ref> J. L. Bhan notes a stone sculpture—a four-armed Brahma, sculpted by son of a Buddhist ''Sanghapati'' and dedicated to Sikandar—to challenge simplistic notions of religious persecution.<ref name=":1322"/> Slaje disagrees about an absence of religious motivations but notes the aversion of Brahmin chroniclers to be, largely, the result of resistance to the gradual disintegration of Varna-system under Muslim rule and growth of islamic traditions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Slaje |first=Walter |url=https://www.academia.edu/42709412 |title=Brahma's Curse : Facets of Political and Social Violence in Premodern Kashmir |publisher= |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-86977-199-1 |series=Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 13 |location= |pages=30–40 |chapter=What Does it Mean to Smash an Idol? Iconoclasm in Medieval Kashmir as Reflected by Contemporaneous Sanskrit Sources}}</ref>


=== Degradation ===
=== Degradation ===
The ruins and the remnants of structure were further ruined by several earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bilham |first1=Roger |last2=Bali |first2=Bikram Singh |last3=Bhat |first3=M. Ismail |last4=Hough |first4=Susan |title=Ancient Earthquakes |date=1 October 2010 |chapter=Historical earthquakes in Srinagar, Kashmir: Clues from the Shiva Temple at Pandrethan |chapter-url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.orghttps//pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/626/chapter/3805836/Historical-earthquakes-in-Srinagar-Kashmir-Clues |language=en |doi=10.1130/2010.2471(10)|isbn=9780813724713 }}</ref>
The ruins and the remnants of the structure suffered further damage from several earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bilham |first1=Roger |last2=Bali |first2=Bikram Singh |last3=Bhat |first3=M. Ismail |last4=Hough |first4=Susan |title=Ancient Earthquakes |date=1 October 2010 |chapter=Historical earthquakes in Srinagar, Kashmir: Clues from the Shiva Temple at Pandrethan |chapter-url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.orghttps//pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/626/chapter/3805836/Historical-earthquakes-in-Srinagar-Kashmir-Clues |language=en |doi=10.1130/2010.2471(10) |isbn=9780813724713 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


== Architecture ==
== Architecture ==
The Martand temple was built on top of a plateau from where one can view whole of the [[Kashmir Valley]]. From the ruins and related archaeological findings, it can be said it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the [[Gandhara]]n, [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] and [[China|Chinese]] forms of architecture.<ref>{{cite book|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Volume 1 By André Wink|year=1991|pages=250–51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC&q=martand+sun+temple&pg=PA250|isbn=9004095098|last1=Wink|first1=André}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Arts Of India By Krishna Chaitanya|pages=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EGUpX1O0hoC&q=martand+sun+temple&pg=PA7|isbn=9788170172093|last1=Chaitanya|first1=Krishna|year=1987}}</ref>
The Martand temple was built on top of a plateau from where one can view the whole of the [[Kashmir Valley]]. From the ruins and related archaeological findings, it can be said that it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the [[Gandharan art|Gandharan]], [[Gupta architecture|Gupta]], [[Chinese architecture|Chinese]] and possibly [[Syrian architecture|Syrian]]-[[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] forms of architecture.<ref>{{cite book|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Volume 1 By André Wink|year=1991|pages=250–51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC&q=martand+sun+temple&pg=PA250|isbn=9004095098|last1=Wink|first1=André|publisher=BRILL }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Arts Of India By Krishna Chaitanya|pages=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EGUpX1O0hoC&q=martand+sun+temple&pg=PA7|isbn=9788170172093|last1=Chaitanya|first1=Krishna|year=1987|publisher=Abhinav Publications}}</ref>


{{wide image|Martand Sun Temple enclosure (6134371538).jpg|750px|Panorama of the ruins from inside the main enclosure}}
The temple has a colonnaded courtyard, with its primary shrine in its center and surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, stretching 220 feet long and 142 feet broad in total and incorporating a smaller temple that was previously built.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica: a new survey of universal knowledge: Volume 12, pp:965</ref> The temple turns out to be the largest example of a [[peristyle]] in [[Kashmir]] and is complex due to its various chambers that are proportional in size and aligned with the overall perimeter of the temple. In [[Hindu temple architecture]], the primary entrance to the temple is situated on the western side of the quadrangle and is the same width as the temple itself, creating grandeur. The entrance is highly reflective of the temple as a whole due to its elaborate decoration and allusion to the deities worshiped inside. The primary shrine is located in a centralised structure (the temple proper) that is thought to have had a [[Pyramid|pyramidal top]] - a common feature of the [[:Category:Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir|temples in Kashmir]]. Various wall carvings in the [[antechamber]] of the temple proper depict other gods, such as [[Vishnu]], and [[List of water deities#Hindu|river goddesses]], such as [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]] and [[Yamuna in Hinduism|Yamuna]], in addition to the sun-god [[Surya]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter5.html | title=Ancient Monuments of Kashmir | access-date=8 November 2014 | author=Kak, Ram Chandra | website=koausa.org | author-link=Ram Chandra Kak | archive-date=28 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628064225/http://www.koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter5.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
The temple has a colonnaded courtyard, with its primary shrine in its center and surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, stretching to be 220 feet long and 142 feet broad total and incorporating a smaller temple that was previously built.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica: a new survey of universal knowledge: Volume 12, pp:965</ref> The temple turns out to be the largest example of a [[peristyle]] in [[Kashmir]], and is complex due to its various chambers that are proportional in size and aligned with the overall perimeter of the temple. In accordance with [[Hindu temple architecture]], the primary entrance to the temple is situated in the western side of the quadrangle and is the same width as the temple itself, creating grandeur. The entrance is highly reflective of the temple as a whole due to its elaborate decoration and allusion to the deities worshiped inside. The primary shrine is located in a centralised structure (the temple proper) that is thought to have had a [[Pyramid|pyramidal top]] - a common feature of the [[:Category:Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir|temples in Kashmir]]. Various wall carvings in the [[antechamber]] of the temple proper depict other gods, such as [[Vishnu]], and [[List of water deities#Hindu|river goddesses]], such as [[Ganga]] and [[Yamuna]], in addition to the sun-god [[Surya]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter5.html | title=Ancient Monuments of Kashmir | access-date=8 November 2014 | author=Kak, Ram Chandra | website=koausa.org | author-link=Ram Chandra Kak}}</ref>


Lime mortar was used with huge blocks of grey limestones. As lime mortar was used on a wider scale in North India only after the rise of Delhi Sultans in 13th century, the use of the material in this grand temple suggests that Lalitaditya employed immigrant Byzantine architects.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=4 September 2022 |title=Martand Temple in Kashmir: Its grandeur survives, and so do its controversies |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/martand-temple-kashmir-history-controversies-explained-8129852/ |access-date=4 September 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Martand Sun Temple">
File:KITLV 100455 - Unknown - Martand Temple on the plateau above the Kashmir Valley in British India - Around 1870.tif|Ruins in c. 1870
File:Restored Martand Sun temple India 1870.jpg|Restored impression by J. Duguid (1870–73)
Martand Sun Temple enclosure (6134371538).jpg|Panorama of the ruins in the summer of 2011
File:Martand Sun Temple in the Winter (6741284235).jpg|Ruins in winter of 2012
</gallery>[[File:Martand Ruins.JPG|thumb|Inscriptions within the temple [[ruins]]]]{{wide image|Martand - Sun Temple Panorama.jpg|1000px|alt=Temple ruins as seen from the entrance to the main temple structure|Temple ruins as seen from the entrance to the main temple structure}}


== Conservation ==
== Conservation ==
The [[Archaeological Survey of India]] has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Archaeological Survey of India protected monuments |url=http://www.heritageofkashmir.org/heritage-tourism/asi-protected-monuments.html |publisher=heritageofkashmir.org |access-date=11 August 2012}}</ref> The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as ''Kartanda (Sun Temple)''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protected monuments in Jammu & Kashmir |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_jk.asp |publisher=asi.nic.in, Archaeological Survey of India |access-date=29 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507130954/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_jk.asp |archive-date=7 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The [[Archaeological Survey of India]] has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Archaeological survey of India protected monuments |url=http://www.heritageofkashmir.org/heritage-tourism/asi-protected-monuments.html |publisher=heritageofkashmir.org |access-date=11 August 2012}}</ref> The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as ''Kartanda (Sun Temple)''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protected monuments in Jammu & Kashmir |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_jk.asp |publisher=asi.nic.in, Archaeological Survey of India |access-date=29 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507130954/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_jk.asp |archive-date=7 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Details - Martand Temple.JPG|thumb|Details sign — ASI]]
[[File:Details - Martand Temple.JPG|thumb|Details sign — ASI]]
==Restoration==
In March 2024, the [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] government initiated efforts to restore the temple.<ref>{{cite news |title=J&K govt initiates efforts to restore 8th century Martand Sun temple |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jk-govt-initiates-efforts-to-restore-8th-century-martand-sun-temple-101711783006368.html |work=Hindustan Times |date=30 March 2024 |access-date=1 April 2024}}</ref>


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
*1970: The Hindi film ''[[Man Ki Aankhen]]'' starring [[Dharmendra]] and [[Waheeda Rahman]] has Martand Temple as background for the [[Mohammed Rafi|Rafi]]-[[Lata Mangeshkar|Lata]] song ''Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul3wufPJ4UE|title=Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya &#124; Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi &#124; Man Ki Aankhen 1970 Songs &#124; Dharmendra|access-date=4 February 2020|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
*1970: The Hindi film ''[[Man Ki Aankhen]]'' starring [[Dharmendra]] and [[Waheeda Rahman]] has Martand Temple as background for the [[Mohammed Rafi|Rafi]]-[[Lata Mangeshkar|Lata]] song ''Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul3wufPJ4UE|title=Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya &#124; Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi &#124; Man Ki Aankhen 1970 Songs &#124; Dharmendra|access-date=4 February 2020|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
*1975: The Hindi film ''[[Aandhi]]'' starring [[Sanjeev Kumar]] and [[Suchitra Sen]] has Martand Temple as background for the [[Kishore Kumar|Kishore]]-[[Lata Mangeshkar|Lata]] song "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa Nahiin".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-HnmVg0-O8|title=Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa To Nahin &#124; Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar &#124; Aandhi 1975 Songs|access-date=4 February 2020|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
*1975: The Hindi film ''[[Aandhi]]'' starring [[Sanjeev Kumar]] and [[Suchitra Sen]] has Martand Temple as background for the [[Kishore Kumar|Kishore]]-[[Lata Mangeshkar|Lata]] song "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa Nahiin".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-HnmVg0-O8|title=Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa To Nahin &#124; Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar &#124; Aandhi 1975 Songs|access-date=4 February 2020|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
*2014: The temple was selected as the background for the song "Bismil", in the Hindi film ''[[Haider (film)|Haider]]'', modelled on [[Hamlet]] in the backdrop of [[Kashmir conflict]]. Certain [[Kashmiri Pandits]] claimed that the site was depicted as a "den of evil"—hurting their sentiments in the process—and sought a ban.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 October 2014 |title=Kashmiri Pandits seek ban on film Haider for misrepresenting ancient temple |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kashmiri-pandits-seek-ban-on-film-haider-for-misrepresenting-ancient-temple/ |access-date=4 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
*2014: The temple was selected as the background for the song "Bismil", in the Hindi film ''[[Haider (film)|Haider]]'', modelled on [[Hamlet]] in the backdrop of the [[Kashmir conflict]]. Certain [[Kashmiri Pandits]] claimed that the site was depicted as a "den of evil"—hurting their sentiments in the process—and sought a ban.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 October 2014 |title=Kashmiri Pandits seek ban on film Haider for misrepresenting ancient temple |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kashmiri-pandits-seek-ban-on-film-haider-for-misrepresenting-ancient-temple/ |access-date=4 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>


==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="100" caption="Martand Sun Temple">
File:KITLV 100455 - Unknown - Martand Temple on the plateau above the Kashmir Valley in British India - Around 1870.tif|Ruins in c. 1870
File:Martand Sun Temple in the Winter (6741284235).jpg|Ruins in winter of 2012
File:Martand Ruins.JPG|Inscriptions within the temple [[ruins]]
File:Martand - Sun Temple Panorama.jpg|Temple ruins as seen from the entrance to the main temple structure
</gallery>
{{clear}}
{{clear}}


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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Sun Temple, Martand}}
{{commons category|Sun Temple, Martand}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161030091809/http://ignca.nic.in/asp/showbig.asp?projid=mst0005 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts] - Martand Sun Temple Site Photos
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161030091809/http://ignca.nic.in/asp/showbig.asp?projid=mst0005 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts] – Martand Sun Temple Site Photos (archived)
* [http://sarsonkekhet.in/2012/01/23/martand-sun-temple-in-the-winter/ Martand Sun Temple in winter] - Pics of Surya Sun Temple under snow
* [http://sarsonkekhet.in/2012/01/23/martand-sun-temple-in-the-winter/ Martand Sun Temple in winter] – Pics of Surya Sun Temple under snow
* [http://www.trodly.com/destination/4892/martand-sun-temple Martand Sun Temple and around]
* [http://www.trodly.com/destination/4892/martand-sun-temple Martand Sun Temple and around]


{{Navagraha}}
{{Navagraha}}
{{Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Hindu Temples in Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Jammu and Kashmir topics}}
{{Jammu and Kashmir topics}}
{{Sun temples}}
{{Sun temples}}
a)A History of Kashmir by Pandit Prithvi Nath Kaul Bamzai, pp.&nbsp;140


[[Category:8th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:8th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Destroyed temples]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Surya temples]]
[[Category:Surya temples]]
[[Category:Anantnag district]]
[[Category:Anantnag district]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 756]]
[[Category:756 establishments]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in the 750s]]
[[Category:Hindu temples sacked in the Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent]]
[[Category:Karkota dynasty]]

Latest revision as of 00:53, 5 December 2025


Martand Sun Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictAnantnag district
DeitySurya (Martand)
Location
LocationMattan
State Jammu and Kashmir
Country India
Martand Sun Temple is located in Jammu and Kashmir
Martand Sun Temple
Location within Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir
Martand Sun Temple is located in India
Martand Sun Temple
Location within India
Coordinates33°44′44″N 75°13′13″E / 33.74556°N 75.22028°E / 33.74556; 75.22028
Architecture
TypeAncient Indian
CreatorLalitaditya Muktapida
Completed8th century CE
Demolished15th century CE

The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located in Mattan, in the Anantnag district of the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It dates back to the eighth century CE and was dedicated to Surya, the solar deity in Hinduism; Surya is also known by the Sanskrit-language synonym Martand (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.). The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri.

History[edit | edit source]

Establishment[edit | edit source]

According to Kalhana, the Martand Sun Temple was commissioned by Lalitaditya Muktapida in the eighth century CE.

Destruction[edit | edit source]

According to Jonaraja (fl. 1430) as well as Hasan Ali, the temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri (1389-1413) in a zeal to Islamise society under the advice of Sufi preacher Mir Muhammad Hamadani;[lower-alpha 1] Jonaraja pinned the blame on his chief-counsel Suhabhatta, a Brahman neo-convert who was held to have manifested a reign of intense persecution for the local Hindus, whereas Ali particularly affirmed Sikandar's convictions in these aspects.[1][2][3]

Scholars caution against accepting these sources at face value — Jonaraja was appointed by Sikandar's son, who sought to bring back the Brahminical elite into the royal fold, while later Muslim chroniclers had their motives to fit the past into an idealist tale of orthodox Islamic morality. According to Chitralekha Zutshi and Richard G. Salomon, Sikandar's policies were guided by realpolitik[4] and, like with the previous Hindu rulers, an attempt to secure political legitimacy by asserting state power over Brahmans and gaining access to wealth controlled by Brahminical institutions.[5] J. L. Bhan notes a stone sculpture—a four-armed Brahma, sculpted by the son of a Buddhist Sanghapati and dedicated to Sikandar—to challenge simplistic notions of religious persecution.[6] Slaje disagrees about the absence of religious motivations but notes the aversion of Brahmin chroniclers to be, largely, the result of resistance to the gradual disintegration of caste-hierarchy under Muslim influence.[7]

Degradation[edit | edit source]

The ruins and the remnants of the structure suffered further damage from several earthquakes.[8]

Architecture[edit | edit source]

The Martand temple was built on top of a plateau from where one can view the whole of the Kashmir Valley. From the ruins and related archaeological findings, it can be said that it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese and possibly Syrian-Byzantine forms of architecture.[9][10]

The temple has a colonnaded courtyard, with its primary shrine in its center and surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, stretching 220 feet long and 142 feet broad in total and incorporating a smaller temple that was previously built.[11] The temple turns out to be the largest example of a peristyle in Kashmir and is complex due to its various chambers that are proportional in size and aligned with the overall perimeter of the temple. In Hindu temple architecture, the primary entrance to the temple is situated on the western side of the quadrangle and is the same width as the temple itself, creating grandeur. The entrance is highly reflective of the temple as a whole due to its elaborate decoration and allusion to the deities worshiped inside. The primary shrine is located in a centralised structure (the temple proper) that is thought to have had a pyramidal top - a common feature of the temples in Kashmir. Various wall carvings in the antechamber of the temple proper depict other gods, such as Vishnu, and river goddesses, such as Ganga and Yamuna, in addition to the sun-god Surya.[12]

  • Martand Sun Temple
  • Ruins in c. 1870
    Ruins in c. 1870
  • Restored impression by J. Duguid (1870–73)
    Restored impression by J. Duguid (1870–73)
  • Panorama of the ruins in the summer of 2011
    Panorama of the ruins in the summer of 2011
  • Ruins in winter of 2012
    Ruins in winter of 2012
Inscriptions within the temple ruins
Temple ruins as seen from the entrance to the main temple structure
Temple ruins as seen from the entrance to the main temple structure

Conservation[edit | edit source]

The Archaeological Survey of India has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in Jammu and Kashmir.[13] The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as Kartanda (Sun Temple).[14]

Details sign — ASI

Restoration[edit | edit source]

In March 2024, the Jammu and Kashmir government initiated efforts to restore the temple.[15]

In popular culture[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Son of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (1314-1384), a Sufi preacher of the Kubrawiya order who had migrated from Huttalàn (present-day Tajikistan) in the wake of Timurid invasions to Shibu'd-Din's Kashmir.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Slaje, Walter (2014). Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD 1148‒1459) From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-'Ābidīn. Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 7. Germany. pp. 28–29, 36, 155–173, 185–189, 201–203, 213–215. ISBN 978-3869770888.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Pandit, Kashinath (1991). Baharistan-i-shahi: A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir. Kolkata: Firma KLM Pvt. Ltd.
  3. ↑ Slaje, Walter (19 August 2019). "Buddhism and Islam in Kashmir as Represented by Rājataraṅgiṇī Authors". Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia. De Gruyter. pp. 128–160. doi:10.1515/9783110631685-006. ISBN 978-3-11-063168-5. S2CID 204477165.
  4. ↑ Salomon, Richard; Slaje, Walter (2016). "Review of Kingship in Kaśmīr (AD1148–1459). From the Pen of Jonarāja, Court Paṇḍit to Sulṭān Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn. Critically Edited by Walter Slaje with an Annotated Translation, Indexes and Maps. [Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis 7], SlajeWalter". Indo-Iranian Journal. 59 (4): 393–401. doi:10.1163/15728536-05903009. ISSN 0019-7246. JSTOR 26546259.
  5. ↑ Zutshi, Chitralekha (24 October 2017). "This book claims to expose the myths behind Kashmir's history. It exposes its own biases instead". Scroll.in. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Bhan, Jawahar Lal (2010). Kashmir Sculptures: An Iconographical Study of Brāhmanical Sculptures. Vol. 1. Delhi, India: Readworthy Publications. pp. 68–69.
  7. ↑ Slaje, Walter (2019). "What Does it Mean to Smash an Idol? Iconoclasm in Medieval Kashmir as Reflected by Contemporaneous Sanskrit Sources". Brahma's Curse : Facets of Political and Social Violence in Premodern Kashmir. Studia Indologica Universitatis Halensis - 13. pp. 30–40. ISBN 978-3-86977-199-1.
  8. ↑ Bilham, Roger; Bali, Bikram Singh; Bhat, M. Ismail; Hough, Susan (1 October 2010). "Historical earthquakes in Srinagar, Kashmir: Clues from the Shiva Temple at Pandrethan". Ancient Earthquakes. doi:10.1130/2010.2471(10). ISBN 9780813724713.[permanent dead link]
  9. ↑ Wink, André (1991). Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Volume 1 By André Wink. BRILL. pp. 250–51. ISBN 9004095098.
  10. ↑ Chaitanya, Krishna (1987). Arts Of India By Krishna Chaitanya. Abhinav Publications. p. 7. ISBN 9788170172093.
  11. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: a new survey of universal knowledge: Volume 12, pp:965
  12. ↑ Kak, Ram Chandra. "Ancient Monuments of Kashmir". koausa.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "Archaeological survey of India protected monuments". heritageofkashmir.org. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  14. ↑ "Protected monuments in Jammu & Kashmir". asi.nic.in, Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "J&K govt initiates efforts to restore 8th century Martand Sun temple". Hindustan Times. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  16. ↑ "Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya | Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi | Man Ki Aankhen 1970 Songs | Dharmendra". Retrieved 4 February 2020 – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ↑ "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa To Nahin | Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar | Aandhi 1975 Songs". Retrieved 4 February 2020 – via www.youtube.com.
  18. ↑ "Kashmiri Pandits seek ban on film Haider for misrepresenting ancient temple". The Indian Express. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2022.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Hindu Temples in Jammu and Kashmir

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