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THE SUN TEMPLE - MODEHRA,
AND THE DANCE FESTIVAL
The
ruins of the 11th century Sun Temple at Modhera in North Gujarat,
are an impressive sight. It stands on a knoll in the village of Modhera,
eighteen miles south of Anhilvad, the former Hindu capital of Gujarat.
Modhera was evidently a site of great importance at one time. The style
in which the temple was built bears a strong resemblance to that of the
Jain temples at Mount Abu. The outer walls of the temple are covered with
sculptures in which figures of Lord Surya are naturally prominent. It
was an inspired decision by the Department of
Culture, Gujarat, and the West Zone Cultural Centre, whose headquarter
is in Udaipur
to hold an annual festival of Indian classical dances at the site of the
Sun Temple. The idea that inspired the festival is to present classical
dance forms in an atmosphere similar to that in which these were originally
presented. So successful was the presentation, that a decision was taken
to make it an annual event. The Dance Festival is held during the third
week of January every year, after the festival of Uttarayan.
Excursions
The city of Patan, formerly known
as Anhilvad Patan when it was the capital of Gujarat, is 44 kms away.
Mehsana, the headquarters of the district is also 25 kms away. Modhera
is only 102 kms from Ahmedabad by road. From Modhera, one may visit other
places of interest like Siddhpur, and Palanpur.
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