ANNUAL CONFERENCE

INDIAN HISTORY & CULTURE SOCIETY

PAPER PRESENTATION
BY
DR. SUSHMA AHUJA
Head , Department of History
Govt. JDB Girls PG College, Kota
THE ALIEN FEATURES OF THE
SUN TEMPLE OF JHALARAPATAN

Surya The Sun
Eye of the Universe Origin of all Creation
Shines and Destroys Darkness

Single Manifestation of the Three Qualities
Creation
Existence
Destruction

Morning The Rising Sun is worshipped as Brahma
Mid Day The Blazing Sun is worshipped as Maheshwara
Evening The Setting Sun is worshipped as Vishnu

Sun Worship In India
Traced back from the
Pre Historic cultures to the 12 c. A.D.

Three forms:
Natural
Symbolic
Imagery


Sun Was Represented In Indian Art
By Means Of Various Symbols :

A Wheel
A Round Golden Plate or Solar Disc
A Lotus Flower
A Swastik
Commonest symbol : Solar Wheel

SURYA As An Object Of Worship On The
Early Historic Punch Marked And Cast Coins

Wheels Of Sun Are Regarded As The Wheels Of Life

Sun Being The Controller Of The Day
Wheels Represent The Time
As Replica Of The Universe
The Wheels Of His Chariot Symbolizes
The Chariot Of Creation.

Figure of Lotus
The Lotus Symbolising the Sun
and the Creative Force came to hold a
Unique place in Indian Art of All Ages

Called Surya as
Savitra Sarvasya Prasavit
The Producer Of All
Surya in Human Form
The Rigvedic Description of Surya
Riding a Chariot drawn by 1 , 3 , 4 or 7 Horses
Basis of the Earliest Representations
attended by Female Figures
Usha and Pratyusa on Both Sides
Some Of The Earliest Remains
The Buddhist Cave At Bhaja (I c. B.C.)
Lala Bhagat Pillar, Kanpur ( 2 c. A.D.)
Anant Gumpha
Khandgiri Near Bhubneshwar In Orrisa

Helios The Sun God
Art motifs of the Gandhara
Specially from Mathura

Help us to trace the Development of the
Gupta and Post Gupta periods.
The medieval Surya reliefs
fall under two categories :
1) Showing the God standing
( as Navgraha and Independent )
in the company of his attendants

2) Showing him seated in Padmasana.


The Fully Anthro Morphic Representation Of
Mithra


Maithraism was throughlly helenised in the courts of
the West Asian successors of Alexander the Great


Mithra : The Sun God
The Greek Solar Divinities served as the Origin
of The Iranian Sun God Mithra or Mihir

Figures of Mihir- Helios on the coins of
Alien Rulers of India like
The Indo Greek and Kushan rulers ;
Kanishka and Huvishka


Forms were based on the representative
Solar Deities in the Coins
of the Indo-Greek rulers like
Apollodotus II , Philoxenus and Telephus
Representative Solar Deities
In The Coins Of The Indo-Greek Rulers
The Figure Of The Sun God
Depicted On A Bronze Coin Of Philoxenus
Magi Brahmans Persian Impact
Indiansied Form Of The
Magis Sun Worshipping Priest Of Iran

Bhavishya Puran:
Brahmans of Shakdwip owed their origin to the
Sun God and the most beautiful daughter of a
Brahmin named Sujihwa ( Sanjana )
They are known as Maga Brahmans of Sakadwip

Samba Puran : Sun God had advised Samba to get his
worship performed by the Brahmins of Sakadwip

Ptolemy mentions the Maga Brahmins ( Magi priests )
as residing in India in the II century A.D.
when Samba is taken to be a contemporary of the
King Parakshit who is said to have ruled in the
19th century B.C.
Samba for the
first time started
worshipping the
Sun
at Konark
Situated on the
Banks of Sacred River
Chandrabhaga

Samba had built the
Three Great Sun Temples in India

One is at Konark
Second is at Multan
Probably in all possibility the third was at
Jhalarapatan ( Chandrabhaga )

All three were on the bank of river Chandrabhaga
Sun Temple Of Jhalarapatan
Sun Temple Of Jhalarapatan
Capital of Ptolemys District of Sandra Batis
Foundation in the Beginning of The Christian Era

108 Temples at Chandravati

The number which is fully borne out by the numerous
existing statues and other sculptural remains .

The Ruins of Chandravati are situated on
Both Banks of the River Chandrabhaga

The city was destroyed in the time of Aurengzeb

All that was left of the Ancient place in 1796 was

The Temple of Saat Saheli or Seven Damsels

Still standing in the Modern City of Jhalrapatan
The Surya temple or Padmanabha or
Bada Mandir.
The shrine with its Shikra and Mandap
up to the Beam and above Pillars are Old Work.

The Main Image Of The Temple Is Lost But A
Composite Image Of Shiva Suryanarayan And Brahma
Depicted is in situ in its Back Principle Niche




In The Standing Composite Image of Surya
The Sun God is carved not riding a chariot but
standing on a lotus pedestal
Wearing Kavacha , Kundal and other Ornaments.
The body of Sun God is shown Covered
Wears a Kirit Mukut
Clad in a Dhoti which is tied round the waist
with a profusely carved Girdle clasped in front
and Long Boots covering the feet upto the knees

He holds Lotus Stalks
with sprouting bunches of Lotus flower in his two hands
Description From Literary Evidences
The Earliest Reference to the
Dress of Sun God having Alien Features
is found in the
Brahit Sanhita :

Image should be carved in
Northerner or Udichayavesa
The Waist Girdle , The Viyanga And Kanchuka
Covering The Body
Description From Literary Evidences
According to the Vishnu Dharmutra Puran :

The God Should Have Four Arms
The Sun Is Described As :
Having Moustaches
Udichayavesa
Adorned With All Ornaments
Covered With A Kavacha
And Having A Waist Girdle
Description From Literary Evidences
Vishnu Dharmutra Puran :

The accessory figures of the attendants
staff carrying Danda to the left
Ink and pen bearing Kundi or Pingala on his right
should be carved in the dress of Northerner
: udichyavesau karttavyau tavubhavapi

His Four Sons :
Revant ,Yama ,Asvin and Manu should stand by him

Other attendants are his Four Wife :
Ragyi or Rajni , Nikshubha , Chaya and Sarvkasa

The chariot drawn by seven horses
should be driven by Arun
Description From Literary Evidences
Bana Bhatta in the Harsacharita


Describes this dress as Varabana
which is made out of stavaraka cloth
Description From Literary Evidences
V.S Agarwal :
Identified this dress with that of the Sun Images of
the Iran of the Sassanian period ( 4 century A.D.)

It is also very much like that of the rulers of the
Sassanain Iran as depicted
in the contemporary paintings of Iran
Another Image from Chandrabhaga Group

Description From Literary Evidences
Another Image from Chandrabhaga Group
From a Small Temple
is also a Composite Image Presenting
The Four Gods
Shiv , Vishnu , Surya and Brahma
The figure is booted with Long Persian Boots

Surya : Wearing Kavach,Kundal
Holding Lotus and other attributes
Some Other Places Reflecting These Features
Budadeet Sun temple
Vrihadaditya
Dhoti
Atru
Amwa
Main Features Of This Region
Sun Worship Was Popular
Surya Was Represented In The Composite Images
As The Main Deity
The Other Gods As Merging In This Form

The Gradual Assimilation Of The Two Or More
Sects Is Also Visible In The
Sun Temple Of Jhalarapatan Of Kota Region
Main Features Of This Region
In these temples besides the composite sun images
insanctum and back principle niche
The images of :
Varaha Incarnation
Narsimha
Venu Gopal
And other Themes were profusely carved
in the niches of the exterior lintel pillars
and door jams
The image
of
Narsimha
The image of :
Varaha
Incarnation

The image of Venu Gopal
Authenticity
Several Specimens of Old Cast Copper Coins
besides few of the still more
Ancient Square pieces of Silver
which probably are from 500-1000 B.C.

These coins are sufficient to show that the place
was occupied long before the time of Chandra Sen
and named after himself
Authenticity
From the I century B.C. to the III and IV A.D.
A number of ruling tribes occupied different
parts of Rajasthan (Yodhey Malav Sibi)
(Malva Region)

Same region came under the influence of
Sassani Greek and Persians
Authenticity
Carllyle found some Square Punchmark Coins
and Some Early Inscribed Copper Coins From
Jhalawar, (Symbols Of Sassami Rulers)

Nine Copper Kushan Coins are also preserved
in Jhalawar Museum and

One Silver Coin in Kota Museum
The Punch Marked Coins Are Considered To Be The
Earliest Coins Of India.

Authenticity
On The Observe Of These Coins Symbols Of

Shadr-chakra (Six-armed) Sun, Bull, Elephant

can be seen
Authenticity
Indo-Sassanian Coins were circulating in
Hadoti region
173 copper coins are preserved in
Jhalawar museum

There is a Sassanian Type Bust Of King
And The Reverse Side Fire Altar
In the Gupta and Post Gupta period 6 10 century A.D.
There Is No Doubt About The Antiquity
Of this Place and if it is said
Samba Had Built Three Sun Temples In India
Of Them One Is At The Rising Tract Of Konark
On The Bank Of Chandrbhaga

Second Is At Multan On The Bank Of Chandrbhaga
Probably The Third One Must Be At
Jhalarapatan
Also On The Bank Of River Chandrabhaga.

DR. SUSHMA AHUJA
Head ,Department of History
Govt. JDB Girls PG College, Kota

Co-ordinator
School of Heritage,Tourism, Museology and Archaeology
University of Kota , Kota
Thank You !!!