Sun Temple Konark

The temple city of Konark is situated in the eastern state of Orissa at a distance of around 65 km from Bhubaneswar and 35 km from Puri. The city extends between longitude 86.08°E and latitude 19.53°N. The temple was built by Raja Narasimhadeva to mark a military victory. Since the rulers used to worship the Sun, the temple was conceived as a chariot for Surya, the Sun God. The whole structure is in the form of a giant horse drawn chariot of the Sun. Together, the 24 wheels of the Chariot and the 7 horses drawing it symbolize the passage of time. The front of the main entrance has two giant stone lions crushing elephants. As you climb up the stairs, you'll see statues of horses on both side. All over the walls of this huge temple are beautiful carvings, sculptures and bas-reliefs (figures projecting from a plain background). Among them are thousands of images of gods, goddesses, men and women and scenes from life in the 13th century.

HISTORY
Konark derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. Konarka is actually a combination of two words, Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which, when combined, means the sun of the corner. Konark was one of the earliest centres of Sun worshipping in India. The place finds mention in the Puranas as Mundira or Mundirasvamin, a name that was subsequently replaced by Konaditya or Konarka. Apart from the Puranas, other religious texts also point towards the existence of a sun temple at Konark long before the present temple. Konark was once a bustling port of Kalinga and had good maritime trade relations with Southeast Asian countries. The present Sun Temple was probably built King Narashimhadev I (AD 1238-64) of the Ganga dynasty to celebrate his victory over the Muslims. The temple fell into disuse in the early 17th century after it was desecrated by an envoy of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. However, legend has it that the temple was constructed by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. It is said that Samba was afflicted by leprosy, brought about by his father's curse on him. After 12 years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour he built this temple.

ARCHITECTURESun Temple Orissa
The massive structure of the temple, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendor surrounded by the drifting sands. The entire temple has been designed in the shape of a chariot carrying the Sun God across the heavens. The huge intricate wheels of the chariot, which are carved around the base of the temple, are the major attractions of the temple. The spokes of these wheelsserve as sundials, and the shadows formed by these can give the precise time of the day. The pyramidal roof of the temple, made of sandstone, soars over 30 m in height. Like the temples at Khajuraho, the Sun Temple at Konark is also covered with erotic sculptures.

THE LEGENDS
No one really knows why a temple was erected here, but there are many legends to account for its appearance. The most popular concerns 'Samba', the son of Lord Krishna. Samba was inordinately proud of his beauty. So proud that he once made the mistake of ridiculing a celebrated sage, 'Narada', who was not renowned for his looks. Narada was not amused. Always mischievous, he decided to have his revenge on the arrogant boy. He managed to lure the unsuspecting Samba to the pool where his stepmothers, the luscious consorts of Krishna, were bathing in joyful abandon. When Krishna heard that his son had become a peeping tom, he was furious and cursed him with leprosy. Realizing later that the innocent boy had been tricked by Narada's cunning, Krishna was mortified. But he could not revoke his course; all he could do was advise his son to worship the sun god 'Surya', healer of all diseases, and hope for a cure. After twelve years of penance and worship, Samba was at last instructed by Surya to go and bathe in the sea at Konark. He did so and was cured of his awful affliction. Samba was so delighted that he decided there and then to erect a Surya temple on these spot. It was called "Konark", "Place of the Sun," from which the modern name comes.

How to Reach Konark

By Air:
The nearest airport to reach Konark is in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa. Bhubaneswar is at a distance of 64 km from Konark. Bhubaneswar Airport is well connected by domestic flights to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Nagpur, Chennai, Hyderabad and other major cities of India.

By Train:
Puri is the nearest railhead to reach Konark. It is about 31 km from Konark and connects Puri to other parts of the state and India.

By Road:
Konark is well connected by roads to Puri, Bhubaneswar and other major cities of Orissa.