Dakshinaarka Temple Gaya

DAKSHINAARKA SUN TEMPLE

Gaya, Bihar, India

God

Dakshinaarka is the main deity of this temple, who is an incarnation of Lord Surya.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to February.

Weather

Highest - April to June (45°C during day and 35°C during night)Average - May (35°C during the day and 25°C during night)Lowest - December to February (26°C during day and 21°C during night)Monsoon season - August to October

Dress Code

For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.

Do's & Dont's

Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.

Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.

transport connections

Name	Distance	Contact Number
Gaya Bus Stand	5.5 KM	9783047663
Gaya Junction	5.2 KM	139
Gaya Airport	10 KM	06312210129

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Gaya Junction	5.2 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Gaya Airport	10 KM	06312210129

Architecture

Dakshinaarka Temple is also known as Sun temple. This temple faces east and it stands close to the Vishnupaada temple. To the east of the temple is the tank Surya Kunda. The temple is a simple and plain one, with a dome over it. The comparatively larger sabha mandapa stands in front of the sanctum. Massive pillars line the mandapa where there are graceful stone sculptures of Shiva, Bhramaa, Vishnu, Surya and Durga. The temple also encompasses a tank, which is popularly known as the Dakshina Maanas or the Surya Kunda tank.

Religious Significance

Origin of Sun worship: Sun worship apparently was very popular in the Magadha region which included Gaya. Numerous old images of the Sun God Aditya are found in the Gaya region and there are still quite a number of sun worshippers in Gaya. It is said that they may have descended from the fire worshippers of Central Asia. In fact, the granite image of Aditya (this particular image here is also referred to as Dakshinaarka) or the Sun God worshipped here is portrayed as wearing a jacket, a waist girdle and high boots in the Iranian tradition.

History

The temple was built in 13th century by a South Indian king Prataparudra of Warangal.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	08:30 AM - 07:00 PM

Tours

Airports

Airport Name	Distance
Shamshabad	40 KM
Lorem Ipsum	12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name	Distance
Secunderabad	10 KM
Nampally	12 KM
Begumpet	6 KM
Lingampally	20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name	Distance
MGBS	35 KM
CBS	28 KM
kukatpally	20 KM
Lingampally	30 KM
Uppal	35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Private Transport	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757