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Konark Sun Temple

Konark, Puri district, Odisha

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Konark Sun Temple
Photo: Subham9423, CC BY-SA 4.0

About

The Konark Sun Temple stands near the sea in Puri district, Odisha, about 35 km from Puri. It was built around 1250 CE by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty and is shaped like Surya Dev's giant chariot, with 24 carved stone wheels drawn by seven horses. Today it is a protected heritage monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The great tower over the sanctum fell long ago, and regular worship is not held in the main shrine. Pilgrims still come, above all for the Chandrabhaga Mela on Magh Shukla Saptami, and offer prayers at the small Navagraha shrine near the temple.

The story

The Puranas link this coast with Samba, a son of Shri Krishna. Because of a curse, Samba suffered from a painful skin disease. He prayed to Surya Dev for twelve years at Mitravan, where the Chandrabhaga river met the sea. The story says Surya Dev was pleased and Samba was made well. While bathing in the river he found an image of the Sun, said to be shaped by Vishwakarma, and installed it there. So the place came to be called Arka Kshetra, the land of the Sun. History tells us that a Sun temple stood in the area by the 9th century, and the present temple was built in the 13th century; its building records survive on old palm-leaf manuscripts. Craftsmen brought stone from far away by river and carved every wall with gods, dancers, animals and scenes of daily life. Over the following centuries the temple fell into ruin. In 1903 the British-era authorities filled the surviving hall, the jagamohana, with sand to keep it from collapsing. Its stone wheels, which also work as sundials, are now a symbol of India and appear on the ten-rupee note.

Visiting

October to March is the best season; summers are hot and humid. This is a protected monument, so do not climb on the carvings, and keep the place clean. Chandrabhaga beach is close by, Puri is about 35 km away and Bhubaneswar about 65 km. Many pilgrims combine Konark with darshan at the Jagannath temple in Puri.

Festivals

  • Magha Saptami / Chandrabhaga Mela (Magh Shukla Saptami): a holy dip at Chandrabhaga and prayers to the Sun
  • Konark Dance Festival, every December (a cultural festival)

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Sources