It is literally a kaleidoscope of shadows
One thousand years ago the master craftsmen would not have imagined that their work of an Architectural wonder will fascinate photographers beyond imagination. What was built as a Sun Temple at Modhera way back in 1026 A.D. under the Solanki Dynasty, today stands as a piece of excellent work of art. The play of shadows and light on its thousands of steps within the Kund is an experience of a lifetime. The clean geometric alignment of risers and treads, their changing directions, placements and dimensioning is no act of coincidence. It would take a master designer to conceive these patterns and execute them with great precision as the end results simply divine.
If photo-graphy is explained as the art of writing with light, then it is at best written by nature.
It is literally a kaleidoscope of shadows. The 108 smaller shrines within, intermingling with the steps, add beautiful pauses to the long lines. If photo-graphy is explained as the art of writing with light, then it is at best written by nature (the God of light – Sun himself) on the steps of Modhera.
As a photographer one just cannot stop shooting, as the exclusive variations of form and pattern are immense and keep on changing with the movement of sun across the temple. It is only at the sun set that the camera stops clicking and the photographer’s dream is painted on the silent film.
Yashwant Pitkar is professor at academy of Architechture, Mumbai and author of The Romance of Red Stone.
