Surya Temple, Palethi, Uttarakhand

Surya Temple, Palethi, Uttarakhand

Sun Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Surya located at Palethi Village in Devprayag Tehsil in Tehri Garhwal District in Uttarakhand, India. This temple is considered as one of the oldest temples in Uttarakhand. The temple has been declared a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.

History

The Temple is believed to be built in post-Gupta period in 7th century CE. There is a dilapidated Brahmi inscription in this temple. It is considered as one of the oldest inscriptions in Uttarakhand after the Ashokan Rock edicts of Khalsi in Dehradun District.

The Temple

This Temple is facing towards east. It consists of sanctum and entrance porch. The sukanasa of the entrance porch has a carving of Surya riding a chariot pulled by seven horses. The shikara over the sanctum follows Phamsana style. The shikara is about 7.5 metres tall. The sanctum enshrines two images of Surya.

Both the images are 1.2 meters tall. Shrines of Parvathi and Ganesha are in dilapidated state. There is a shrine for Lord Shiva in good condition in the temple complex. Idols of Surya, Ganga, Yamuna, Parvati and Ganesh can be seen in the open area of the temple complex.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 13 Kms from Hindolakhal, 32 Kms from Devprayag, 34 Kms from Devprayag Bus Stand, 69 Kms from Tehri, 80 Kms from New Tehri, 103 Kms from Rishikesh Railway Station, 106 Kms from Rishikesh, 119 Kms from Dehradun Airport and 133 Kms from Haridwar. The Temple is situated at about 13 Kms from Hindolakhal off the Devprayag to Jakhnidhar route.

Location