Konark Sun Temple – The UNESCO listed Pride of Orissa, India’s fascinating history is showcased by the many monuments dotting its map. Many of these have been inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, which testifies to their historical and cultural significance. Among these is Konark Sun Temple, belonging to the 13th century. The name ‘Konark’ comes from joining two Sanskrit words; ‘Kona,’ meaning corner and ‘Ark’, meaning the sun, as the shrine is devoted to the Sun God, Surya. So, book your domestic flights to know more about this magnificent Konark Sun Temple.
Konark Sun Temple History
The Konark Sun Temple’s history is as fascinating as its architecture. King Narasimhadeva built it I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It is believed that around 1200 artisans worked for about 12 years to bring the intricately carved temple to life. The shrine inside Konark Sun Temple is believed to be a frequented place of worship until the mid-16th century.
Even today, it is estimated that about 4000 people visit the temple every day. In the first week of December, a 5-day dance festival, one of the world’s most popular dance festivals, draws many tourists and devotees. It is a major highlight of Konark Sun Temple, which takes place in the evening, recounting the historical and cultural significance of the temple. You can grab budget hotels near this temple to attend this spell-bounding festival.
If you are someone who fancies exploring old edifices and delving into the rich past of India, then you ought to book a hotel and cheap flight tickets to Orissa today and explore this magnificent structure.
Architecture of the Konark Sun Temple:
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been built in the form of a majestic and colossal chariot that is about to make its first flight. The King was the worshipper of the Sun god, and so the temple was made in the praise of the Sun God. The chariot was made in such a way that the Sun God himself was perceived to drive the chariot, he being seated inside the “Garbagriha” or the inner sanctum. The chariot is drawn by seven horses and twenty four wheels. Each horse denotes a day of the week and each wheel depicted the hours of the day.
The temple was made of three types of stones. The stones were mainly black in colour. The Konark Temple, when built, served as a beacon to the ships in the Bay of Bengal. The sailors could see the temple from the sea and they called the temple as Black Pagoda.
Just like any other ancient temples, the Konark Sun Temple also has are exquisite and interesting carvings all over the temple. Our guide explained to us in details about the carvings. Out of the seven horses, three were on the left and four on the right side of the temple. It is because of the unequal number of horses on either side, the chariot moves faster on one side; the chariot is supposed to move in the circular direction, just as the sun moves.
As we started moving around the temple doing the parikrama in the direction of the Sun itself, we saw the various carvings and sculptures. The carvings are of intricate designs are rich motifs. We came across the idol of the Sun God.
We so very much wanted to go inside the main temple to see the main idol. The Sun God idol is said to be floating mid-air inside the main sanctum. How? Well, it was the said to be the trick of magnets and metals. Infact, there are stories that go on to say that many ships that sailed the Bay of Bengal when came near the Konark Temple were destroyed due to the pull of the magnet. We seriously do not know the veracity of this story, but we sincerely hope that this is just a figment of the imagination. It would be really sad to know that such a magnificent piece of art was also so destructive.
Nevertheless, the main door of the temple is sealed since long. I think, the magnet too, is removed and the deities placed elsewhere! The temple would simply crumble down to earth if the doors are not sealed. This is what our guide told us. In our mind, we refused to believe so. It is actually the nonchalant attitude of our countrymen that often leads to the gradual ruin of these historical architectures.
Konark Sun Temple Timings
The Konark Sun Temple is open on all days of the week from 06:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Its address is Konark, Odisha
The temple is located at Konark, which is a small town in the district of Puri in Odisha. It is about 36 kilometers from Puri and about 60 kilometers from Bhuvaneshwar. It is a famous tourist destination which is well connected to Puri as well as Bhuvaneshwar by buses, trains, and taxis.
So, that’s all we have got for you in this post on Konark Sun Temple. It is an architectural marvel. You should plan a trip to Konark to witness its magnificent beauty.
How to Reach Sun Temple:
The temple is located in Konark, a town in the district of Puri in Odisha. It is approximately sixty km from the capital city, Bhubaneswar and 35 km away from Puri. Konark is a famous tourist spot owing to the Sun Temple and for that reason it is well-connected to Puri and Bhubaneswar by trains, buses and cabs. The easiest and fastest way however, to reach Konark is to rent a cab from Puri.
Airways: Sun Temple, Konark-Best Guide & Trip Planner In 2020 5The nearest Airport from Konark is the Bhubaneshwar airport, which is about 65 kilometres away.
Bhubaneshwar, being the capital of Odisha is very well connected to major Indian cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, etc. and major airlines have daily flights to/from Bhubaneshwar.
Railways: The nearest railway stations are Bhubaneshwar (65 kilometres) and Puri (35 kilometres). Puri is the last point of the southeastern railway.
Both Puri and Bhubaneshwar have fast and superfast train connections to major Indian cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, etc.
Roadways: The Nearest cities are Bhubaneshwar and Puri. The state transport OSRTC buses, as well as private operators, provide buses from Puri to Konark Sun Temple.
Overall, Konark is also connected very well to other major cities like Kolkata (507 kilometres), Vishakhapatnam (475 kilometres) and Chennai (1254 kilometres) to name a few.