Dakshinaarka Temple Gaya
Dakshinaarka Temple -Gaya
Dakshinaarka Temple or Sun Temple in Gaya-Bihar is an ancient shrine, which is also mentioned in the Hindu religious book Vaayu Purana. The temple is of supreme significance for all those visiting Gaya for pind daan (a religious ritual performed for the peace of the departed souls).
Sun worship in the Magadha region that encompassed Gaya has been mentioned in the Puranas and thus this temple is said to be of very ancient origin. The current structure dates back to the 13th century, where the South Indian emperor Prataparudra of Warangal in Andhra Pradesh is said to have built it.
The granite image of Aditya (this particular image here is also referred to as Dakshinaarka) or the Sun God worshipped here is portrayed as wearing a jacket, a waist girdle and high boots in the Iranian tradition.The Sun Temple at Gaya faces east and is located close to the famous Vishnupaada temple where a footprint of Vishnu is said to be enshrined. To the east of the temple is the tank Surya Kunda. The temple is a simple and plain one, with a dome over it.
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Dakshinaarka Temple
Dakshinaarka Temple, Gaya, Bihar
Information of Dakshinaarka Temple, Gaya, Bihar
The Dakshinaarka Temple is situated in Gaya in the Indian state of Bihar. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Sun God commonly known as Surya Devta. Gaya is a very holy and religious city from ancient times being the sanctum of Lord Buddha and also Lord Mahavira. Apart from being a Buddhist and Jain pilgrimage centre there are many Hindu temples as well situated on the Gangetic plains of the sacred River Ganga.
Dakshinaarka Temple Religious Significance
The Dakshinaar temple is a very famous temple of the Sun God Adithya. There are many people in and around Gaya who worship the Surya God. It is said that they must have been the descendants of the fire worshippers of Central Asia.
The temple remains can be visited any time during the year and is open throughout the day. The most important day for worship is a Sunday and hundreds of pilgrims flock to worship the sun God on this auspicious day.
The Surya Temple has been associated with the ancient traditions of making offerings to the death. It is known as the Surya Kunda and is the most important religious significant. People from all parts of the country come to perform this sacred ritual of offering to the dead which in turn blesses people with well being, wealth and prosperity. There are various hymns and mantras about the Sun God written in the ancient Vedas and are chanted by the priests in the temple.
Dakshinaarka Temple Mythology & History
The worshipping of Sun God during the Magadh Dynasty has been inscribed in the ancient Puranas. So therefore this temple must have been built a very long time ago somewhere during the medieval period. There was an ancient ritual of praying to the Sun God taking a handful of water in the banks of a river and facing in the direction of the sun and offering ones prayers to the Surya God.
In the ancient Vedas the sun is referred to as the storehouse and source of all power hence the sun should be worshipped properly and with full belief. If one makes the sun God happy he will be bestowed with immense blessings and power. The Surya God lives in the Surya Loka and appears in a chariot with seven white horses and is drawn by Arjuna. The seven horses represent the seven colours in a rainbow and can also be the seven chakras of our body.
The Surya Temple has been associated with the ancient traditions of making offerings to the death. It is known as the Surya Kunda and is the most important religious significant. People from all parts of the country come to perform this sacred ritual of offering to the dead which in turn blesses people with well being, wealth and prosperity. There are various hymns and mantras about the Sun God written in the ancient Vedas and are chanted by the priests in the temple.
The most important day for worship is a Sunday and hundreds of pilgrims flock to worship the sun God on this auspicious day.
