No worship is offered now and it is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The shrine proper of the Sun Temple was built during the reign of Bhima I of Chaulukya dynasty.

[A][1][2][3][4] Earlier, during 1024–1025, Mahmud of Ghazni had invaded Bhima's kingdom, and a force of around 20,000 soldiers had unsuccessfully tried to check his advance at Modhera.

Historian A. K. Majumdar theorizes that the Sun Temple might have been built to commemorate this defense.

[5] On a block in the western wall of the cella, there is an upside down inscription "Vikram Samvat 1083" carelessly incised in Devnagari script which correspond to 1026-1027 CE.

On the stylistic ground, it is known that the Kunda with its corner shrines was built earlier at the beginning of the 11th century.

So the temple proper, the miniature and the niche shrines in the tank were built shortly after 1026 CE.

[3] The temple is the Monument of National Importance and is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India.

It was added to the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in December 2022.

[1] The Garbhagriha, the shrine proper or sanctum sanctorum is square measuring 11 feet from inside.

The doorway has carved figures of seated Surya in panels surrounded by dancers and amorous couples.

[D][1] The sanctum sanctorum is designed in a way that the first rays of rising sun lit up the image of Surya during solar equinox days[14][3][16][10] and on summer solstice day, the sun shines directly above the temple at noon casting no shadow.

There is a thin fillet above which the major paneled face of the wall called jangha exist.

[1] The figures of Surya are prominently carved on three niches of shrine proper as well as on each side of three windows in the outer wall of Gudhamandapa.

The figures of Surya is in standing position with two arms holding lotuses and driven by seven horses.

[citation needed] Every figure in the panel has a small cornice over it surmounted with a triangular pediment consisting of chaitya-a window which is called udgam.

[1] The Vimana had horizontal geometrical and figurative bands which rising to create the Mount Meru-like shikhara.

The extensively carved exterior has a series of recessed corners giving an impression of the star-like plan of it.

The next is vedi which correspond to jangha of mandovara decorated with large panels of gods, goddesses, and floral designs.

It followed by kakshasana which slopes outwards and forms the back-rests of the bench, asana which runs around the hall.

Inside, the walnut-shaped ceiling rises in tiers which has numerous floral girdles.

Torana or the decorated cusped arches arise from the lower brackets of the pillars and touch the lintels in middle.

It is followed by a still smaller band with sixteen standing human figures separated by small annulet below.

Then the shaft becomes circular and had three or four bands having a row of male warriors, lozenges, circles and kirtimukha at last.

the eight stilted pillars have one more shaft and similar type of capital which is crowned with brackets of volutes and pendant leaves.

[10][3] The other corners and niches are decorated with figures of Shiva and Vishnu in various forms, Brahma, Nāga and goddesses.

The depicted scenes on small flat ceilings and lintels of sabhamandapa are from epics like Ramayana.

Several miniature shrines and niches in front of terrace-wall have images of gods including many Vaishnavite deities and goddesses such as Shitala.

[3] Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration Hindoo and Mahommedan Buildings refers to a coloured engraving of "a splendid sculptured Portico of a Temple dedicated to Mahadeo, at Moondheyra in Guzerat" and in it she meditates upon the vastness of this structure.