File:1 Sun Temple Martand Jammu Kashmir India ancient Hindu temple in ruins.jpg

Martand Sun Temple was dedicated to Hinduism's Surya (Sun) god and is now in ruins. The ruins of the temple are located near Anantnag in Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.

Before the invasion by Islamic armies from Persia, the length and breadth of the Kashmir Valley has a network of Hindu Temples. For example - Shankaracharya Temple, Payar Temple, Martand Temple (shown), Buniyar Temples, Laduv Temple, Avantisvara Temple, Avantiswami Temple, Taper Temple, Manasbal Temple, Mamal Temple, Devsar Temple, Garur Temple, Sugandesha Temple, Narag Temples, Narasthan Temple and others. Source: Shah, "UNIQUE FEATURES OF ANCIENT TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE OF KASHMIR", Review of Research, March 2013, Vol. 2 Issue 6, Special section p 1-3.

The Avantipur temples and the Martand Temple are an attraction for people interested in history and archaeology. Their style is unique, being heavily influenced by the Buddhist Gandhara school of art, which in turn was influenced by Greek and Hellenistic art and architecture. The Martand temple had a colonnaded courtyard, with a shrine in its centre, which was 220 feet long and 142 feet broad. It was surrounded by 84 small shrines.

The temple was destroyed, burnt then razed to the ground by Islamic Sultan Sikander in 15th century. His violence against temples won him the sobriquet of but-shikan or idol-breaker. In Kashmir, he was responsible for the desecration and destruction of numerous temples, caityas, viharas, shrines, hermitages and other holy places of the Hindus and Buddhists. He banned dance, drama, music and iconography as aesthetic activities of the Hindus and Buddhists, finding them as heretical and un-Islamic.