Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Martand Sun Temple

Mains level: Not Much

In May this year, some pilgrims offered prayers inside the Martand Temple, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected (ASI) monument

The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located near the city of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley.
It dates back to the eighth century AD and was dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity.
The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in a bid to undertake mass conversion and execution of Hindus in the valley.
According to Kalhana, the Temple was commissioned by Lalitaditya Muktapida in the eighth century AD.
The temple is built on top of a plateau from where one can view whole of the Kashmir Valley.
From the ruins the visible architecture seems to be blended with the Gandharan, Gupta and Chinese forms of architecture.

According to ASI, prayers are allowed at its protected sites only if they were “functioning places of worship” at the time it took charge of them.
No religious rituals can be conducted at non-living monuments where there has been no continuity of worship when it became an ASI-protected site.

If some activity, like any kind of worship, has been going on for years in the structure, then it is taken over as a living monument.
But where no activity has taken place, say an abandoned building, then it is declared a dead monument.
The latter is difficult to restore because it is generally covered by a lot of overgrowth.
The best-known example of a living ASI monument is the Taj Mahal in Agra, where namaz is held every Friday.

Martand Temple in Kashmir

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