The picture on my first entry was taken on our visit to this temple constructed in 1026 AD. It is not at present a place of prayer and worship which we knew immediately because we weren’t instructed to remove our shoes. It is listed now by UNESCO, a department of the UN, as a ” World Heritage Site.” We visited on a Sunday, as did many groups of school children on field trips to historical sites. These girls were in the 9th form, which I think is 9th grade.

I want to connect this for my former ancient civilization students to our study of Egypt and the sun god RA. Remember we talked about ancient Egyptians worshiping nature, and explaining the movement of the sun across the sky as Ra riding across the heavens in a chariot? The Indian myths describes the sun god, Surya, as “entering this temple each morning,and filling the place with the warmth of his first rays.” Spectacular sight as are hundreds of bats perching inside the domes of the temples. I was glad it was daytime, and they were sleeping.

I will be visiting lots of temples during this trip. India is considered the most “spiritual country” on earth. It is the birthplace of Buddhism which spread to the Far East, but now is experiencing a renewal in India. Currently, the major religions are Hindu, the largest, Jain, an off-shoot of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, and Judaism. The people of India almost universally profess some faith system.

For regulars on my blog, you can notice the water tank, and the lovely steps leading down to it.  These elements are often seen in Hindu Temples as you might remember.

Students sketching . . .  . . .

Venerable gentleman and his friends. . . . .

First group picture!  The wire in this shot is to provide light and sound for a dance  festival that night. We didn’t know that was happening so we missed that.

Notice the intricate carving. . . . .The Modera Sun Temple is known by architects, historians,  and anthropologists the world over. And it was right in our backyard!

Here is a lovely quiet video allowing the beauty of this temple and site to speak for itself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdeZXXhwO_I

T I I I       This Is Incredible India. . . . . Namaste. . .  .