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JANUARY · UTTARARDH · SUN TEMPLEModhera Dance Festival
Each January, classical dancers take the stage before the thousand-year-old Sun Temple at Modhera — the Uttarardh Mahotsav, where India’s finest classical forms unfold against carved stone and a sacred stepped tank.
Classical dance before the Sun God
The Sun Temple at Modhera, built in the early 11th century for Surya, is among Gujarat’s architectural masterpieces — a jewel of carved sabhamandapa, shrine and a great stepped tank (kund). Each January, after Uttarayan, it becomes an open-air stage for the Uttarardh Mahotsav, when leading exponents of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and other classical forms perform against the floodlit temple. The setting turns each recital into something close to sacred.
The setting does the work no auditorium could: classical dancers perform with the Sun Temple’s carved facade behind them and the Surya Kund’s steps falling away in front, staged in the days after Uttarayan when the winter nights are cold and clear. Entry is free, the programme runs over three evenings, and Modhera is an easy 100 kilometres from Ahmedabad.
A temple built for the sun, and a stage each January
The Modhera Sun Temple was built in the early eleventh century under the Solanki king Bhima I, dedicated to Surya and aligned so that the equinox sunrise reached the inner shrine.
Its Surya Kund is a great stepped tank ringed with more than a hundred miniature shrines, and it is the element most visitors remember.
Gujarat began staging classical dance at its heritage monuments, and Modhera — with the temple as backdrop and the kund as amphitheatre — became the flagship venue.
The Uttarardh Mahotsav now runs each January, in the days after Uttarayan, with the monument floodlit behind the performers.
Why come
Classical dance
Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and other classical forms are performed by established exponents rather than local troupes.
Sun Temple
A carved marvel.
Floodlit stone
A dramatic stage.
The kund
The stepped tank.
Live music
With the dance.
Surya's shrine
A sacred setting.
What to see
THE DANCEUttarardh
Classical recitals.
THE TEMPLEModhera
Sun-god shrine.
How to experience it
Come in January
After Uttarayan.
Tour by day
See the carvings.
Return by night
For the dance.
Watch the forms
Bharatanatyam, Kathak.
See the kund
The stepped tank.
Feel the setting
Art meets stone.
Where architecture meets art
The Uttarardh Mahotsav is part of a Gujarat tradition of staging classical dance amid heritage monuments, and few backdrops rival Modhera. The temple’s astonishing carvings, aligned so that the rising sun once lit its inner shrine, frame performances that honour the same devotional impulse that raised the building. It is a rare chance to see living classical art in the setting it was made for.
Planning more of the area? Our Mehsana guide covers the whole district.
Timing
The dance days.
Fine for the temple.
Hot in the day.
⏰ The dance festival is held in January (after Uttarayan); the temple itself is worth visiting year-round.
Getting there
By Air
Ahmedabad (~100 km).
By Rail
Mehsana (~25 km).
By Road
Modhera, off NH.
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What to eat
THALIGujarati Thali
North Gujarat spread.
KADHIKadhi-Khichdi
A regional comfort.
FARSANFarsan
Savoury snacks.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Modhera Dance Festival FAQ
What is the Modhera Dance Festival?
The Uttarardh Mahotsav — a classical dance festival held each January before the Modhera Sun Temple.
When is it held?
In January, shortly after the Uttarayan (kite) festival.
What is Modhera famous for?
Its early-11th-century Sun Temple dedicated to Surya, with exquisite carvings and a great stepped tank.
What dances are performed?
Leading classical forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, among others.
Where is Modhera?
In Mehsana district, about 25 km from Mehsana town and 100 km from Ahmedabad.
Can I visit the temple otherwise?
Yes — the Sun Temple is open year-round; the festival is the January highlight.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026