(having offered) adoration to surya, the beholder of ‘mitra’ and ‘varuna’, the mighty, the divine, the farseer, the god-born, the manifester (of all things), the son of heaven; celebrate the rite enjoined by him and sing his praise. With that light, surya, with which thou disperses the darkness, and with that radiance with which thou quickest every moving thing, remove from us all famine, neglect of oblations, sickness and evil dreams
– rig veda mandala 10 hymn 37.
Narrative
The “lake of the sun” is believed to have been built in the 10th century C.E. by King Surajpal Tomara for his daughter. King Surajpal was a king of the Tomara dynasty who ruled Delhi between 8th and 11th century C.E. It is believed that the lake gets its name from a sun temple that existed on its eastern side. The steep embankment creates a reservoir, 130 meters in diameter, for rain water. With an approximate area of 99 acres, the ‘kund’ was used as a hunting resort by the erstwhile rulers of Delhi. At the foothills of the Aravalli range, Surajkund is rich in biodiversity and contiguous with the sacred Mangar Bani grove and the Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary. Today, it is home to an international annual crafts fair known as the “surajkund mela”.
Architecture
Surajkund is built in the shape of a rising sun with an eastward arc. It is believed that the lake gets its name from a sun temple that existed on its eastern side. The steep embankment creates a reservoir, 130 meters in diameter, for rain water. With an approximate area of 99 acres, the ‘kund’ was used as a hunting resort by the erstwhile rulers of Delhi.
References
a.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/surajkund
b. http://vedicheritage.gov.in/flipbook/Rigveda_Samhita_Eng_Vol_VI/ #book/71