Martand Sun temple :-

The Martand Sun temple is situated on top of a plateau, near the town of Anantnag located at about 5 miles from the town of Anantnag, {Kashmir, India}. The temple is dedicated to Bhaskar {surya}, the Sun God.

It dates back to the 7th - 8th century and was consecrated by King Laitaditya Muktapida. King Lalitaditya, a Kshatriya of Surya (Solar) dynasty, got the Martand Sun temple constructed to commemorate Surya. This beautiful Martand temple has a colonnaded courtyard, with the shrine in its center. There are two springs named Vimal & Kamal Kunds. {Naag in Kashmiri language}.

This temple has been built with strong and square limestones and exhibits the pillars of Greek pattern. Built with 84 columns, the temple offers a magnificent view of the Kashmir valley.  The temple has a height of about 40 ft. The central building is 63 ft in length by 36 in width. From the northern side of the temple, one can get the view of the beautiful mountains as the background. A striking feature of the temple is the large-scale use of wood rather than stone in its architecture

Martand temple of Kashmir counts amongst the best and most memorable works of King Lalitaditya and counts amongst the rare ones in the world.

It serves as a living proof of the skill and talent of the Hindu Kashmiris of the bygone era. Apart from the exquisite architecture, another attraction of the Martand temple is its picturesque surroundings. The temple, standing in a square field with the beautiful snow covered mountains serving as its backdrop, presents an awe-inspiring sight

Martand holds a very high place in the world's great architectural designs and is considered to be not only an example of the Kashmiri architectural skill but also has pride of having been set up at a prettier spot than those of Parthinan, Taj Mahal and St. Peters. A representative of all such great buildings and monuments or a combination and sum total of all the qualities. Martand temple is said to be a mirror of the art and skill of Kashmiri Hindus. This way Lalitaditya should not be considered only a founder of a vast empire but also a founder of art and skill of Kashmiri Hindus for six centuries

Though the cities, towns and the ruins belonging to the era of Lalitaditya are not to be found so easily, the remnants of the big Martand temple, which the emperor had built at the pilgrimage of the same name, is an example of unique building skill of ancient Hindus. They are praised for their design, beauty and art.

By road, Martand Temple can be approached easily from Anantnag, Mattan and Achabal. The nearest airport is at Srinagar.