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| Sun Temple Of Konark |
The Sun Temple of konark had been built as one of the best examples of architecture and Brahmin beliefs. Built to honor the God of the Sun, Arka, the temple complex shows the enormous wealth, talent and spirituality of the Brahmins in Orissa. Hinduism, the oldest continuing practice religion in the world, presents a mixture of the sublime spiritually and the earthly erotic in the Konark Temple.
History
The Temple of the Sun was built towards the end of the construction phase of the temple of Odisha in the thirteenth century by King Narasimha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty (whose great grandfather renewed the Jagannath Temple in Puri). Dedicated to Surya, the God of the Sun, it was made as his colossal cosmic carriage with 12 pairs of wheels pulled by seven horses (unfortunately, only one of the horses remains).
It is believed that the temple celebrates the glory of the Ganga dynasty and the triumph of the king over the Muslim rulers of Bengal. His numerous sculptures depicting war scenes and the king's activities support him.
However, it was still a mystery how the temple was built until the 1960s when an ancient palm leaf manuscript was discovered. His complete set of 73 sheets comprehensively recounted the planning of the temple and the 12 years of construction (from 1246 to 1258). The information is documented in a book, published in 1972, called New Light on Sun Temple of Konarka by Alice Boner, S. R. Sarma and R. P. Das.
Architecture Details
The main entrance leads to the dance hall, guarded by two imposing stone lions that crush the elephants of war. The roof of the pavilion no longer remains. However, there are 16 intricately carved pillars that show dance poses are the highlights.
Things To Visit
The complex of the Temple of the Sun consists of two main parts: a dance hall (Natya mandapa) and an auditorium (jagamohana) with a roof of pidha deula on the same platform as the remains of the rekha deula tower of the sanctuary. There is also a separate dining room (bhoga mandapa) on the left side of the complex and two smaller temples at the rear.
ts entrance has been sealed and the interior full of sand to prevent it from collapsing.
The courtroom and the sanctuary form the car, with wheels and horses carved on both sides of its platform. The wheels are all the same size but each one has different motives. The tires are adorned with scenes of nature, while the medallions on the spokes have women in most erotic poses. In particular, the wheels function as sundials that can accurately calculate time.
A collection of temple sculptures is displayed in the Konark Sun Temple Museum, operated by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is located north of the temple complex and is closed on Fridays. The ticket price is 10 rupees.
The extensive world-class Konark Interpretation Center has five galleries with interactive exhibits and multimedia screens. The galleries are dedicated to the history, culture and architecture of Odisha, as well as to sun temples throughout the world. An interesting movie about the Konark Sun Temple is also screened in the auditorium.
If you are interested in Odissi classical dance, do not miss the Konark Festival, which is held in the temple during the first week of December of each year. The International Sand Art Festival takes place on Chandrabhaga Beach, near the temple, at the same time as this festival. There is another music festival
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