MARTHAND SUN TEMPLE- ARCHITECTURE OF HILLS

1. About 

• Martand Sun temple is situated in the Mattan area (originally called Martand or Bhawan) in the southern part of Kashmir. 
• Martand is a Sanskrit synonym for Surya. 
• The Martand Temple was built by the Karkota dynasty king Lalitaditya Muktapida, who ruled Kashmir from 725 AD to 753 AD.
• The temple represents cosmological symbolism in an aesthetic grab.
• Lalitaditya built the famous and elegant Sun temple at Martand and Parihaskesva at his capital Parihasspara. 
• The Sun temple of Martand stands in the middle of a large courtyard having 86 fluted columns. The temple proper contains grabhagraha, antarala and lost mandapa, approached by a grand flight of steps. The pliant supporting the central shrine has two tiers; both with niches having 37 divine figures.
• “Dedicated to Vishnu-Surya, the Martand Temple has three distinct chambers—the mandapa, the garbhagriha, and the antralaya—probably the only three-chambered temple in Kashmir. This points to the position it enjoyed. The temple is built in a unique Kashmiri style, though it has definite Gandhar influences.”

2. Temple architecture in Hills

• A unique form of architecture developed in the hills of Kumaon, Garhwal, Himachal and Kashmir. 
• Kashmir’s proximity to prominent Gandhara sites (such as Taxila, Peshawar and the northwest frontier) lent the region a strong Gandhara influence by the fifth century CE. 
• This began to mix with the Gupta and post-Gupta traditions that were brought to it from Sarnath, Mathura and even centres in Gujarat and Bengal. 
• Brahmin pundits and Buddhist monks frequently travelled between Kashmir, Garhwal, Kumaon and religious centres in the plains like Banaras, Nalanda and even as far south as Kanchipuram. 
• As a result both Buddhist and Hindu traditions began to intermingle and spread in the hills. 
• The hills also had their tradition of wooden buildings with pitched roofs. 
• At several places in the hills, therefore, you will find that while the main garbhagriha and shikhara are made in a Rekha-Prasada or Latina style, the mandapa is of an older form of wooden architecture. 
• Sometimes, the temple itself takes on a pagoda shape. 
• The Karkota period of Kashmir is the most significant in terms of architecture. 
• One of the most important temples is Pandrethan, built during the eighth and ninth centuries. In keeping with the tradition of a water tank attached to the shrine, this temple is built on a plinth built in the middle of a tank. 
• Although there is evidence of both Hindu and Buddhist followings in Kashmir, this temple is a Hindu one, possibly dedicated to Shiva. 
• The architecture of this temple is in keeping with the age-old Kashmiri tradition of wooden buildings. 
• Due to the snowy conditions in Kashmir, the roof is peaked and slants slowly outward. 
• The temple is moderately ornamented, moving away from the post-Gupta aesthetics of heavy carving. 
• A row of elephants at the base and a decorated doorway are the only embellishments on the shrine. 
• Like the findings at Samlaji, the sculptures at Chamba also show an amalgamation of local traditions with a post-Gupta style. 
• The images of Mahishasuramardini and Narasimha at the Laksna-Devi Mandir are evidence of the influence of the post-Gupta tradition. 
• Both images show the influence of the metal sculpture tradition of Kashmir. 
• The yellow colour of the images is possibly due to an alloy of zinc and copper which were popularly used to make images in Kashmir. 
• This temple bears an inscription that states that it was built during the reign of Meruvarman who lived in the seventh century. 

3. Medieval history of Kashmir

3.1.Karkota dynasty

• Durlabhavardhana

• Chinese pilgrim, Hsuan Tsang visited Kashmir and spent three years from A.D 631 to 633. 
• He left a detailed account of Kashmir and its people, Buddhist monasteries,
• Ashokan stupas containing relics of Buddha.
• His territories extended beyond Kashmir and was the first king of Kashmir to issue coins, according to Chinese annals.

• Lalitaditya

• He was known for his military exploits and active patronage of arts and letters.
• The most important exploit of his career was the defeat of Yasovarma of Kanauj and the annexation of his kingdom.
• He founded many towns and settlements and bullets temples and maths.
• In Parihasapura he built four Vaishnava shrines with gold and silver images, a Buddhist temple enshrining a brass image and a monastery.
• The most important religious foundation laid by Lalitaditya was the Sun temple at Martanda.

3.2.Utpala dynasty

• Avantivarma
  • He is known for bringing peace, prosperity and stability to Kashmir with the help of his loyal minister named Sura.
  • He founded Avantipura and built two great temples of Avantisvami and Avantisvara there.
  • His reign is also known for the engineering achievements of Surya. 
  • Suyya devised a technique of controlling the waters of the river Jhelum and increasing the amount of cultivable land. It involved the improvement of facilities of irrigation.
• Sankaravarma

• • His expeditions drained Sankaravarma’s treasury and forced him to impose heavy taxes. His extortions fell heavily on temple endowments, priestly corporations, and on cultivators who were further oppressed by forced labour.
  • He founded Sankaraputrapattana which was adorned by three large shiva temples.
• Didda

She was the wife of the ruler Kshemagupta and dominated the political scene in Kashmir for half a century- as a queen-consort regent and finally as sovereign.

3.3. Lohara dynasty 

Harsa

He possessed both scholarly and musical talent. But lacked on military and administrative fronts. He is blamed for robbing temple treasures and melting down ancient images to replenish his exchequer.

3.4. II Lohara dynasty

Jayasimha

He is said to have ruled through a judicious combination of strength and cunning. He was the patron of Kalhana, the author of the Rajatarangini.

After Jayasimha’s death, Kashmir continued to be ruled for about two centuries by a succession of weak Hindu princes until A.D 1337 when Hindu rule was terminated by Sultan Shamsuddin.

3.5. The declining phase 

• After the eighth century, Buddhism was overshadowed by Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
• Kashmir fostered a distinctive four-faced Vaikuntha form of Vishnu. 
• Utplala kings from Sankarvarma onwards were more inclined towards Shaivism. 
• Kashmir was a citadel of the Pasupata sect.

4. another prominent temple apart from Martand

• Shankaracharya temple
• Pandrethan temple
• Sankara Guruvaram (Sugandesha) temple
• Naranag Temple
• Avantiswami (Avantipur) Temple

6. Conclusion

• Martand temple is one of the important archaeological sites in the country. Its impressive architecture reveals the glorious past of the area. Martand temple is the clear expression of Kashmir’s pristine glory