Twice a year, sunlight lands exactly on the feet of a stone deity in a small Andhra Pradesh town. That precision isn’t an accident. It’s the point of the Arasavalli Sun Temple.
MCQ QuestionsArtnCulture0185 · Arasavalli Sun Temple
7th Century
Arasavalli Sun Temple built, in Kalinga architectural style
One of India’s two oldest Sun temples, in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.
Devendra Varma
Kalinga ruler credited with building the temple
Temple Tradition
2 Days/Year
Sun rays fall directly on the deity’s feet, in Feb and June
Temple Tradition
Kalinga Style
Architectural style, matching temples further north in Odisha
Architecture
Usha & Chhaya
Surya’s consorts, flanking the main deity in stone
Iconography
Srikakulam
District in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh where it stands
Location
✅ Must Know
Where and When
- Location The Arasavalli Sun Temple stands in Arasavalli village, Srikakulam district. That district sits in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
- Date The temple dates to around the 7th century CE. Tradition credits Devendra Varma, a ruler of the Kalinga kingdom, with building it.
- One of Two Arasavalli is considered one of India’s two most ancient Sun temples still standing.
- Deity The temple is dedicated to Surya, the Hindu sun god, worshipped here as Sri Suryanarayana Swamy.
🏘️ Good to Know
Architecture and Alignment
- Kalinga Style The temple follows Kalinga architectural style. That same tradition appears in temples further north, in present-day Odisha.
- Solar Alignment Twice a year, in February and June, sunlight falls directly on the deity’s feet. This happens in the early morning hours, by careful design.
- Consorts in Stone The main Surya idol is flanked by Usha and Chhaya, his consorts, carved from finely polished granite.
- Chariot Imagery The idol depicts Surya riding his chariot, drawn by Aruna, following the classical iconography of the sun god.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2017 — Which Sites Are Famous for Sun Temples
- UPSC 2017 Only Arasavalli is genuinely famous for a Sun temple. Amarakantak is known as the origin of the Narmada and Son rivers, and Omkareshwar is famous for a Shiva Jyotirlinga — neither is a Sun temple site. Asked as: “Which of the following is/are famous for Sun temples?” (UPSC CSP 2017, GS Paper I).
⚡ Great to Know
Arasavalli Versus Konark
- Older, Less Famous Arasavalli predates Konark’s famous 13th-century Sun Temple by centuries, though it draws far less attention on the exam and in general awareness.
- A Real Trap UPSC likes pairing a genuinely famous Sun-temple site with unrelated pilgrimage towns that share no connection to Surya worship at all, like Amarakantak and Omkareshwar here.
- See Also For India’s better-known Sun temple, see ArtnCulture0070 — The Konark Sun Temple.
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