King Narsimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty built the magnificent Sun Temple at Konark, on the coastline of the present day Odisha in 1250 AD. Dedicated to the Hindu god Surya, Konark Sun Temple was designed in the form of a gorgeously decorated chariot mounted on 24 wheels (12 pairs), each about 12 feet in diameter, and drawn by a set of 7 mighty horses. When viewed from inland during the dawn and sunrise, the chariot-shaped temple appears to emerge from the depths of the blue sea carrying the sun. It was built at the mouth of the Chandrabhaga River near the coast but the waterline receded over the years. It was so built that the first ray of the sun fell on the gigantic sun idol kept inside the main temple complex and even today you can tell the time by observing the rays of the sun falling over the wheels which act as giant sundials.
The temple complex originally consisted of the main sanctum called "Bada deul". It was similar in structure to the one present at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. It was built of black stone and therefore was referred to as "Black Pagoda" by the Europeans. The Vimana of this sanctum is estimated to have been 229 feet (70 m) tall. This structure no longer exists. In front of it was the smaller sanctum called bhadra deul or Jagamohana that still stands and is the principal structure in the surviving ruins. The attached platform was called the pida deul, which consisted of a square mandapa with a pyramidal roof. All of these structures were square at their core, and each was overlain with the pancharatha plan containing a variegated exterior. The central projection, called the raha, is more pronounced than the side projections, called kanika-paga, a style that aims for an interplay of sunlight and shade and adds to the visual appeal of the structure throughout the day. According to historical texts, originally the complex was enclosed within a wall 865 feet (264 m) by 540 feet (160 m), with gateways on three sides.
 |
| Original temple and the surviving structure (yellow) |
Every single piece of the Konark Sun Temple is covered with sculptures consisting of deities, dancers, apsaras, scenes of life at court, images from the daily life and culture of the people (artha and dharma scenes), various animals, aquatic creatures, birds, mythological creatures, and friezes narrating the Hindu texts, and erotic sculptures, finished to jewelry-quality miniature details.
There are two huge lions on either side of the entrance. Each lion is shown crushing an elephant. Beneath each elephant lies the human body. Lion represents pride and elephant represents wealth and together they express the reality of human life.
 |
| Lion at the entrance |
One of the most fascinating things of this temple was its floating vigaraha. According to the legends, the Vigraha of Lord Surya was suspended in the air inside the main sanctum sanctorum. It is said that a heavy magnet was placed at the temple top and every two stones of the temple was sandwiched by iron plates. The unique arrangement caused the main idol of the temple to float in air. So when you entered the main temple, you’d see a tall idol in mid-air. For years, it was a mystery as to how this happened. It is also said that this magnetic field was so strong that it affected the compass navigation for sailors. This loadstone was later removed by Europeans which caused the Vigaraha to fell on ground.
Another attraction of the temple is its twelve pairs of giant wheels located at the base of the temple. These wheels are not ordinary wheels but tell time as well – the spokes of the wheels create a sundial. One can calculate the precise time of the day by just looking at the shadow cast by these spokes.
 |
| Sun dial |
Here the language of stone surpasses the language of human - Rabindranath Tagore
0 Comments