MARTAND SUN TEMPLE

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Context

Union Minister Piyush Goyal visited the Sun temple at Martand. Located atop a hillock, the temple is one of the earliest known sun temples much older than Konark and Modhera.

About

The Martand Sun Temple also known as Pandou Laidan is a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya (the chief solar deity in Hinduism) and built during the 8th century CE. Martand is another Sanskrit synonym for Surya.
The Martand Sun Temple was built by the third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida, in the 8th century CE.
It is now in ruins, as it was destroyed by the orders of Muslim ruler Sikandar Shah Miri.
The temple is located five miles from Anantnag in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
From the ruins and related archaeological findings, it can be said it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the Gandharan, Gupta and Chinese forms of architecture.
The Archaeological Survey of India has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in Jammu and Kashmir.
The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as Kartanda (Sun Temple).