Sun Temple - Konark
On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konark is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses. Built in the 13th century, it is one of India's most famous Brahman sanctuaries.
The Sun Temple of Konark often called as the Black Pagoda was constructed in mid thirteenth century by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty. It is an ample testament to the artistic glory of the time.
Conceived in form of a huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels, after the mythical seven horse chariot of Sun God, the temple was a unique in its architecture and implementation.
Intricate carvings on the walls of the main temple and the Natya Mandap (a separate structure just in front of the temple) are a sight to behold. It is often considered to be the most artistically superior among the other temples and that is saying something when you are talking about the golden triangle of Orissa which boast of Sri Jagannath temple and Lingraj Temple of Puri and Bhubaneswar.
Sun Temple has lost its many of its original structures to time and disrepair but the remaining structures and the remainder of the structures confirm till today the infinite imaginative power of the artistes of the time and their inspiring contribution to Vaisnav Culture.
The crowing glory of the temple architecture of Orissa the Sun Temple at Konark plays host to the annual dance festival featuring Odissi and other traditional dance forms. The open air stage against the back drop of the floodlit temple reverberates with the beats of classical ragas and thalas to transport the audience in sheer ecstasy.
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