What is Surya Mandir? It is an ancient Hindu temple in Jaipur city of India. This Sun temple is dedicated to Sun God. Sun God is considered the ruler of 9 Planets and life provider for whole world.
Where is Surya Mandir in Jaipur?
Sun temple in Jaipur is situated on the eastern side of walled city of Jaipur. This temple is built on a 100 meters high Aravali hill peak. So your search for Sun temple in Rajasthan will take you to another trip to Pink City Jaipur.
Why one should visit Surya Mandir?
- It is away from usual tourist map and chaotic city life
- This place is home to many birds and macaques (monkeys)
- It is a sacred place of worship
- The views from the temple are mesmerizing
- The trek is refreshing
- The site is visited by a lot of Indian village people in colorful dresses which is an ideal situation for photography
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Sun Temple Jaipur History
Sawai Jai Singh ll of Jaipur instructed his envoy at Moghul court, Rao Kripa Ram to construct the temple in 1734 AD. Royal family of Jaipur is considered from the Sun dynasty lineage.
Thus, the devotion to Sun god was obvious. Interestingly, Rao Kripa Ram chose the extreme east corner hill of Jaipur city to construct this temple. This temple still receives the coronation of sun rays in morning before Jaipur city.
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Surya Temple Jaipur Architecture
This Jaipur temple is built on a projecting platform on the hill. It is made of stone masonry and lime. The grand gate of the temple resembles like one from a royal mansion. The outside walls are strongly built like a mini fortress.
Unlike most Hindu temples this temple faces south direction.
At the time of its construction the temple was seated with 8 inch high Ashtadhatu statue of Sun God. In 1979, the idol was stolen from the temple. Since then the symbol and picture of the statue is worshiped here.
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Before independence, the idol was worshipped by Royal family of Jaipur on the eve of Surya Saptmi. The Sun god was taken out in a grand chariot in a religious procession to Choti Chaupad where it was kept for an hour for public.
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A unit of Jaipur State army gave it the guard of honor and various saints and heads of religious organisations worshipped the Sun god in the procession. After independence the procession lost its flair. However, a small event is still organised on the festival of Surya Saptmi at the temple in form of a procession.
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Important fact – A recent study by government agencies found out that the details on the temple walls are hidden behind the lime white wash. Soon, the real beauty of the temple will be excavated deliberately by experts.
Surya Temple Timings
Sun temple in Jaipur opens for visitors at 5 AM in morning and closes at 5:30 PM in evening. Entry to the site is free for all. As it is a place of worship visitors are required to remove shoes at the entry gate only.
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How to reach Surya Mandir?
This temple is situated at the boundary of urban Jaipur. It is a natural guarding wall between Pink City and Galta forest. As a result, on the eastern side of the temple is the galta valley and on the western & north western side is vast city.
There are two routes to reach Sun Temple in Jaipur. These instructions will work as Sun temple Jaipur Map for you to figure out the best route.
- One route starts from Galta Temple. One can reach at Galta temple and then climb a uphill trek of 1 and a half kms. This route is away from city and thus could be reached by car, cab, and taxi or rented bike. This is a piligrim site for Hindus and there are a lot of devotees from rural parts of Rajasthan. You may find a lot of monkeys on this way. These macaques have been a part of film series by National Geographic. The series is called Monkey Thieves of Jaipur. It takes around 40 mins to cover the trek distance.
- Another shorter route is from Galta gate. One can reach Galta Gate or Surajpole Gate on Delhi Bypass road by bus, cab, taxi, car or rented bike. Then the temple could be reached after an uphill walk of 15 mins. This route is also a natural habitat of monkeys and you may find many here. The cobbled path is approximately 1 kms long.
Following is a list of nearest Bus Stand, Airport and Railway Station with their respective distance from Sun Temple in Jaipur,
- Sindhi Camp Bus Stand (6.5 Kms)
- Jaipur Junction Railway Station (9.5 Kms)
- Jaipur International Airport (13.8 Kms)
Other places to visit around Surya Mandir
The site is located on the remote hill but it is adjacent to Galta Temple and some kilometers away from walled city. A trip to this temple must be combined with a trip to Galta or monkey valley.
Here is a list of other places of interest and their respective distances from Sun Temple. –
- Galta Temple (Monkey Valley 1.5 kms walk)
- Amer Fort (13 Kms)
- Jantar Mantar (3.9 Kms)
- Hawamahal (3.2 Kms)
- Isarlat (4.3 Kms)
This was all to help you make a comfortable trip around this Sun Temple in Jaipur. Do check our other coverage on important places to visit in Pink city and don’t forget to like our Facebook page. If this article helped you, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.
How about you plan a Temple Tour in Jaipur with us? Fill up your contact details below and we’ll reach out with a customized Jaipur Temple Tour plan.
