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96
RASESH JAMINDAR
SAMBODHI-PURĀTATTVA
or the first half of the 11th century A.D. on the basis of its sculptural style, adoration etc. This image is not worshipped but as it is located on Jañghā it is infered that there might be a Sürya temple.
Samskār Kendra's sculpture
On the west-end of the Sardar-bridge there lies a centre for cultural activities, generally known as Saṁskār kendra. Now it houses a city museum. This centre has preserved many sculptures. Of them there is one Sūrya image having two arms and measured as 52x29 centimetre. Positioned in Sambhañg posture this image is dressed in Udīchya costume. Made of marble stone it has figures of Ushā, Pratushā, Dañda and Pingal in proximity. It is a well sculptured image. It is probably brought here from Astodiya area and Ashā Bhil's Tekara.
Epilogue
This brief survey of Sürya images located in this city's different areas positively prove that Sūryopāsanā was certainly there in the pre-Ahmadabad societies. There may be some more icons of Surya which have not come to our notice. But the aim of this brief discussion is to draw the attention of young scholars to under-take this theme on large-scale and bring out their results to add to the knowledge that there was a tradition of Sūryopāsanā enjoyed by those socities then. This rich tradition is now the dynamic force in undertaking salvage archaeology to study Sūryopāsanā from our angle of vision.
