13 Captivating Konark Sun Temple Facts That You Need To Know Right Now!

Konark is a small town in Odisha that is widely recognized in the world for its World Heritage Site, the Konark Temple.

The entire structure of the Konark Sun Temple, also known as the Konark Temple, is built on a giant chariot with immense wheels, which gives the temple complex its structure. The Konark Temple was also referred to as the 'Black Pagoda' by the European traders sailing through the blue sea, the Bay of Bengal.

The special feature of the temple is the sun rays moving along the wheels to indicate the time of the day. The Konark sun temple is not worshipped because King Narasimhadeva had set a deadline for the construction of the temple, and the deadline used by Dadhi Nauti fell down, and this had put 1200 workers' lives in trouble, along with the chief architect, Bishu Maharana. So, suddenly, comes a small boy named Dharmapada who claims to be the son of Bishu Maharana and takes the blame on himself to save the lives of 1200 workers. To save the lives of 1200 workers, he jumped off into the Chandrabhaga River from the top of the temple to alter the ego of the king. People believe that the 12-year old was the Sun god himself, and since then the rituals of worshipping are not carried on in the Konark temple.

Konark Sun Temple History

The Konark Sun Temple was built by Orissa (Odisha) King Narasimhadeva when he defeated the Muslim invaders in the glory of the Sun god.

The worship of the Sun-god dates back to the 19th century BC. Konark Temple was built in the 13th century and is one of the stated examples of the Kalinga architectural style, as Kalinga during that era covered parts of the modern-day Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh, including Odisha.

The Kalinga was under the rule of the Ganga dynasty from the 5-15th century AD. The Ganga dynasty is known to be one of the most powerful dynasties in India and built the world-famous temples named Jagannath Puri temple and Konark Sun Temple. Nata Mandir, part of Konark Sun Temple, is known to have been reconstructed in 1905. The inside of Konark Sun Temple is full of sand that the British had poured back in 1903.

Konark was chosen by King Narasimhadeva because, as per the ancient text, Konark was considered the holy seat of Lord Surya. The temple is believed to have been built beside an old Sun temple in Konark. The scientific reason for the collapse of the temple is being considered and the region's weak soil, which could not withstand such master architecture. The Aruna Stambha was replaced in Jagannath Puri Temple by the entrance of the Konark Sun Temple in the 18th century.

Konark Sun Temple Geographic Location

Konark Sun Temple is located in Konark in central-east India, in Odisha, close to the Bay of Bengal.

In the 13th century, the temple was well known among people for the sun rays, which were called Surya Deula. The Konark Sun Temple is located in Konark, a small town in the Puri district of Odisha, India. Odisha is located in the central-eastern part of India along the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. The 24-wheel chariot-mounted temple is a World Heritage Site, and people across the world come here to enjoy the scenic beauty of the rising and setting sun rays from the temple.

It is also called the chariot-shaped temple with seven horses. It was built by Ganga dynasty ruler King Narasimhadeva to demonstrate his power and dominance in the region, and it was also attacked by Muslim invaders. Orissa was not conquered by Muslims while most of North India was captured by them in the 13th century.

King Tughan Khan was also defeated by Orissa. From Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, it is almost (37 mi) 60 km, while from the district of Puri it is (22 mi) 35 km. The UNESCO-accredited World Heritage Site, the Konark Sun Temple, is a small town near coastal areas. If you ever plan to visit this beautiful temple in India, then the month of September to March would be an ideal time period with pleasant weather conditions.

The beautiful work of the temple would be best observed under good weather conditions. So, the summer season should be avoided for visiting the temple. To see the temple for what it was built for, you must visit the great temple in the morning hours. Eastern India does not have winters and mostly receives rainfall, which causes floods across the area, including Odisha. 

Importance Of Konark Sun Temple

Konark Sun Temple signifies the importance of the Hindu religion towards their deity, the Sun.

From ancient scriptures, it is known that the Konark Sun Temple was the main temple, but prior to that, Lord Krishna's son Samba is known to have built a Sun temple that was devoted to the deity Sun. Samba is known to begin worshipping the Sun god. The Samba is said to have built the temple in Maitryeavana in the 19th century BC after worshipping the god Sun for 12 years.

He was suffering from leprosy, and it is believed by many researchers that his disease of leprosy was cured by dedicating his life to worshipping the god Sun. The Konark Sun temple was built by King Narasimha Deva in the glory of the god Sun (Surya) in the Hindu religion. The word 'Surya' is a Sanskrit word that means 'sun'. The twelve pairs of wheels of the Konark temple are referred to as the 12 months of the Hindu calendar.

Many references have been made in Indian literature about Lord Surya with different names by human beings such as Vivasvan, Martanda, Bhaskara, Pushan, Mitra, Arka, Savitr, Aaditya, Ravi, and Bhanu. In the Smarta tradition, if you want to achieve the highest universal principles, then you need to pray to the five gods, and among them, the Sun God is also one.

According to the Hindu texts, the Konark word is taken from the two Sanskrit words 'Kona and Ark'. Kona means 'corner' or 'angle', and Ark means 'sun'. The town itself has been named after its geographical location. The Hindu deities are known to ride one of the animals, be it land or aquatic creatures, and the lord of the sun is known to ride the seven-horse chariot. The seven horses are also related to seven meters of Sanskrit prosody.

The seven horses of the chariot of Konark temple have great interrelation with the Hindu calendar in the context of seven weekdays and times. The lord Sun is known to be sided by two dawn goddesses, Pratyusha and Usha, who are frequently seen shooting arrows marking the beginning of darkness alongside the god Sun. Surya was one of the important gods among other Hindu gods: Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.

Konark Sun Temple Architectural Style

The Konark temple is a unique architectural marvel. The use of magnets, iron plates and Khondalite rocks is known to be built in the Kalinga architectural style.

Konark temple is built near the Chandrabhaga River. The main temple was constructed with the idea that when the sun rises, the first sun rays will fall on the idol of the god Sun, which was placed in the main hall of the temple. The temple architecture workers made use of black granite, which gives this ancient architectural piece the name 'Black Pagoda', while another temple in Puri, Jagannatha temple is called called 'White Pagoda'.

The dark color of the temple helped the ancient sailors reach the Eastern Ghats of Odisha. The temple walls have erotic sculptures, which are believed to be related to the tantric tradition of India. The temple's ancient architecture style in modern-day also astonishes scientists with what great ideas and science the temple was constructed during the rule of the Ganga dynasty.

It also has identical sculptures outside the main temple of a lion over an elephant and the elephant over a human. Even if you follow the guidelines of the temple to see the miracle, you will be able to see the sun rays falling on the wheel as it reflects the time of the day. Thus, wheels are also referred to as 'sundials'.

It took around 12 years from 1243-1255 AD to build the temple and its unique twelve pairs of wheels, along with seven horses. The surviving ruins are the assembly hall, dining hall, and dance hall of the temple. The walls of the temple are inscribed with lotus flowers, blue sea creatures, birds, and animals, each telling one or the other story. King Narasimhadeva has left behind a great masterwork showing their way of life along with creativity.