The Sun TempleUNESCO World Heritage Site built in 13th centuru in the honor of the sun-god Surya is currently under ruins. The entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by seven horses, carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens. Surya has been a popular deity in India since the Vedic period.
View of the Jagamohan and the ruined shikhara of the Surya Temple at Konark
The Temple compound measures 857 ft (261 m) by 540 ft (160 m) The alignment of the Sun Temple is on the east-west direction.
The entire temple was planned in such a way that it is fitted with twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated stone wheels. The horses were conceived in such a way that the Sun God (Surya) himself drives this chariot, his place being inside the garbhagriha.
The major entrance in the temple is place on the east side and it faces the sea. This entrance is located in the façade of bhogamandapa which is also known as the Hall of Offerings. The sculptures of dancers as well as musicians is engraved on the walls of this hall, hence the hall was later used for the traditional dance recital.
On the western side of the temple lies the sanctuary tower which are now nothing but just a clutter of various sandstone slabs which are kept one over another. This impressive construction is believed to have a pyramidical roof commonly known as jaganmohan.
The roof of jagamohana has a roof that has around 3 tiers and many statutes are placed over them. The statutes are either of dancers or the musicians. The platform at the base also has a sculpture of Lord Shiva as Nataraja and performing the dance. The interior of the terrace is now-a-days barren up.
The stairs that takes you up towards the Statute of Surya is located beyond the terrace. The statute of the Sun god is carved out a huge green colored chlorite stone. It is supposed to be the most beautiful work of art present in Konark. However, the entrance door to the Jaganmohan is currently closed due to rapid fall of debris and stones from the ceiling.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Konark
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Konark - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Konark hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Konark Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
