SURYOPASANA IN THE PRE-AHMEDABAD SOCIETY
Summary
Suryopasana in the Pre‑Ahmedabad Society uses iconographic evidence to show that sun worship was prevalent in the region before the city of Ahmedabad was founded. The article begins by emphasising that true religion harmonises knowledge and faith and that Ahmedabad, long a cultural crossroads, hosts diverse religious traditions. Sun worship is a global phenomenon; in India the sun god is called Surya, Savita, Aditya or Mitra, and iconography depicts him holding lotuses, wearing armour and sometimes riding a horse‑drawn chariot. During a salvage archaeology project, researchers surveyed the city and discovered multiple sun images embedded in walls or housed in temples. A defaced sandstone icon in the Gaekwad’s Haveli dates to the 8th–9th century; a marble image at Panchanatha Mahadeva on the Sabarmati River shows Surya flanked by horse‑faced Ashvinis and is dated to the 11th–12th century; and other statues at Ganganatha Mahadev and nearby shrines depict Surya standing or seated with lotus attributes and attendants. These finds correspond to the Pincumandarka Tirtha mentioned in the Padma Purana, suggesting that the area was once a pilgrimage site. The article argues that such evidence demonstrates a continuous tradition of sun worship in the region prior to Ahmad Shah’s renaming of the city in 1413 and highlights the value of iconographic study in reconstructing lost religious practices.
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Conclusion
The survey of Ahmedabad reveals that sun worship predated the city’s founding and persisted across centuries. Iconic images of Surya, some dating back to the 8th century, testify to a thriving cult and suggest that areas like Raikhad were important sun‑worship centres. These findings underscore the continuity of religious traditions and the importance of salvage archaeology in uncovering them.