Not only known for its magnificent structure and historical prominence, the Martand Sun Temple housed at Kehribal, some nine kilometres from Anantnag district, remains a significant place for devotees. Every year thousands of visitors come to this place from different parts of the world. One can find long queues of devotees, mostly Kashmiri Pandits, having a deep affinity with the temple for decades, waiting to perform the rituals at the temple. Many devotees also register their complaint about the temple’s need of renovation, repeatedly but to no avail.
Though considered as a site of archaeological significance in the region, the temple, unfortunately, is in ruins. “I wonder how could people in antiquity have made such tall temples. On the other side, seeing it in shambles is disheartening,” said Deepak, a devotee, adding that its glory must be restored at the earliest.
It is important to put on record that being one of the oldest temples in India dedicated to Surya (sun god), this temple is also believed to be the only sun temple in the entire north India. Surrounded by 84 small shrines, this magnificent temple has a row of columns in the courtyard with the main shrine 220 feet long and 142 feet broad in its centre. It is believed to have been built by the third ruler of the Korkata dynasty, King Lalitaditya, in 8th century CE.
“Some of the interesting things to see here include idols, little windows all around its walls, scripts inscribed on a rock in Sharada language, and a gigantic pool in front of the temple. Unfortunately, the temple is losing its sheen owing to its current condition. The administration is not paying any heed to its redevelopment so that it could be saved from extinction,” a group of locals said.
They also believe that the redevelopment of the temple area and bringing it on the tourist map of Kashmir may create more employment opportunities for the locals. “It will be an economic boost for the entire area as people from different parts of the world, particularly Europe, visit the place. This is also a major source of job avenues for locals. It can further help the economic growth of the area,” locals said.
Detailing about the windows surrounding the walls of the temple, Zahoor Ahmed Khan, a local tourist guide, describes the inscriptions and novelty of structures and their history. “The little windows in its walls were indicators of time in those early days. As sunlight passed through a particular window, they could guess the time of the day,” he says.
He further adds that “This is a unique temple. There are a lot of fascinating and sacred things in the temple which are worth seeing. However, the government must intervene to save the glory of our past.”

—[email protected]

Yasir Yousuf