Restoration of ancient Martand temple on cards

Jammu, March 30

The J&K administration has convened a meeting of officers here next week to discuss ‘protection, conservation and restoration’ of the eighth century Martand Sun Temple in Anantnag district.

Located in the Kehribal area of Mattan, some 63 km south of Srinagar, the temple is considered as the oldest of the Sun temples in the country and is a symbol of invaluable ancient spiritual heritage.

It has been declared as a site of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and also appears in the list of centrally protected monuments.

According to a notice issued by the Department of Culture, a meeting has been convened at Civil Secretariat in Jammu on April 1 to discuss the matter regarding protection, conservation and restoration of the ancient shrines in Kashmir, including the Martand Sun Temple.

The meeting, to be chaired by Principal Secretary, will be attended among others by the Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums (J&K) and the Superintendent Archaeologist (in-charge), ASI (Srinagar circle).

Thousands of pilgrims, including Kashmiri Pandits, visit the temple every year and have been demanding its restoration.

In May 2022, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha took part in “Navgrah Ashtamangala Pooja” at the temple which was protested by the ASI as “violation of rules” for not seeking required permission. However, the Jammu and Kashmir administration defended the ‘pooja’ citing Rule 7(2) of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, which states that this should not apply to any event held “in pursuance of a recognised religious usage or custom”.

Built on the top of a plateau, the temple ruins and related archaeological findings revealed that it is an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the Gandharan, Gupta and Chinese forms of architecture.

The temple has a colonnaded courtyard, with its primary shrine in its centre and surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, stretching to be 220 feet long and 142 feet broad total and incorporating a smaller temple that was previously built.