Osian Sun Temple (Surya), Jodhpur

The Sun temple at Osian is one of the early Surya shrines of western India, raised in the 8th century under the Gurjara-Pratiharas. It stands among the cluster of Pratihara-era temples in the desert town of Osian near Jodhpur, often called the Khajuraho of Rajasthan. Its panels of the sun god in his chariot are admired for their carving.

An early Surya shrine of the desert

Osian lies in the Thar desert north of Jodhpur and holds one of the larger groups of early medieval temples in Rajasthan. Among them is a temple to Surya, the sun god, counted among the early Sun shrines of western India. This page covers that Surya temple in particular, distinct from the much-visited Sachiya Mata temple nearby.

The shrine belongs to a period when Surya worship was widespread across northern and western India. Its placement within the wider Osian complex sets it among neighbouring Hindu and Jain temples of the same broad era.

Built under the Gurjara-Pratiharas

The temple dates to the 8th century, the time when the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty was a leading power in western India and a notable patron of temple building. Osian flourished as a temple town under their rule, and the Sun temple is part of that wave of construction.

This Pratihara patronage gives the Osian temples a fairly settled date in the history of north Indian architecture. The Sun temple shares the proportions and decorative vocabulary of its neighbours from the same workshops and period.

Sculpture of the sun god

The temple is valued above all for its sculpture. Carved panels show Surya riding his chariot, along with the figures and decorative bands typical of Pratihara-era work. The detailing on the walls is the main reason the temple is grouped with Osian’s finest.

It is this richness of carving that earns Osian its nickname, the Khajuraho of Rajasthan. While the desert weather has worn some surfaces, much of the relief work remains legible and rewarding to study at close range.

• An 8th-century Surya temple of the Gurjara-Pratihara period
• Part of Osian’s cluster of Hindu and Jain temples
• Known for carved panels of Surya in his chariot

Visiting Osian

Osian is an easy excursion from Jodhpur and is usually visited together with the Sachiya Mata temple and the other shrines of the town. The Sun temple repays unhurried looking, since its interest lies in the detail of its sculpture rather than scale.

As a desert site, Osian is most comfortable outside the peak summer heat. Visitors are asked to treat the old structures with care, as they are among the oldest standing temples in this part of Rajasthan.

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