The Konark Sun Temple was built some time in the 13th century by the King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It's significance has three main contributors - the imaginative design, the carvings on the walls and the historical events associated with it.The design:…Read More

The Konark Sun Temple was built some time in the 13th century by the King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It's significance has three main contributors - the imaginative design, the carvings on the walls and the historical events associated with it.

The design: The entire temple is designed like a chariot - The chariot of the sun which makes its daily journey across the sky. Combining the physics of planetary motion, this temple is a marvel in science with wheels designed as sun dials, the layout of the temple aligned in the east-west plane and the corridor of pillars arranged to align with the position of sun depending on the solstices and equinoxes.

The carvings: Every inch of the temple has elaborate carvings of the erotic kind. If you ask the local guides, they will give you a very serious explanation to each and every detail. The main theory as to why these erotic sculptures were put up concerns the rise of Buddhism over Hinduism in the first Millennium. In order to revive Hinduism, it was important for Hindus to procreate (Buddhists being inclined to embrace celibacy). Hence these carvings were done on the temples to tell the folks that it was perfectly valid to have sex. Do spend some time looking at these carvings.

The history: In the 16th century, the temple was demolished by Kaalapahad, a general of the Sultan of Bengal. In order to protect the temple, the main idol of Surya was hidden while other idols were taken away to Puri and hidden in the Jagannath temple complex. Over time, devotees would go to Jagannath more than come to Konark and succeeding kings continued to transfer items to Puri. Abandoned, the Konark Sun Temple fell into disuse and became covered by jungles till a British officer discovered it.

Since then, it has come back into the Indian consciousness with the Konark wheel becoming an important symbol.

Konark is just 65 km from Bhubaneshwar, capital of Orissa and the main airport. There is a well developed transport system with many forms of transport - buses, taxis, autorickshaws (though 65 kms in an autorickshaw will be back breaking). There is a tourist hotel in Konark but one does not have to spend a night there. One can always drive back to Bhubaneshwar.

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The Sun Temple of Konark is shaped as a chariot to carry the sun god in his daily journey from the east to the west. The entire layout is oriented in the East-West plane. And every equinox, spring and vernal, the sun rises from the…Read More

The Sun Temple of Konark is shaped as a chariot to carry the sun god in his daily journey from the east to the west. The entire layout is oriented in the East-West plane. And every equinox, spring and vernal, the sun rises from the east directly above the zenith of the main sanctum hall.

There are pillars in front of the main building forming a corridor of sorts, on the equinox days, the sun moves exactly along the mid point of this corridor.

On solstice days, the position of the sun shifts north or south depending on the solstice. And one these days, the path of the sun directly above either of these pillar lines.

Then there are the wheels. Each of the wheels has twenty four spokes. The axle of the wheel serves as a sundial. Each pair of wheels (there are 12 of them) is tagged to a particular month (the Zodiac reckoning).And during that month, one can read the time from the wheel. Each of these wheels also serve as documents containing important information, traditions, edicts, etc. For example, there is one wheel meant for courtesans and each hour of the wheel has a carving of the courtesan engaged in some activity. This wheel can be read as a practice book for a successful courtesan - on what she should engage in at what hour. Similarly for the kings, the queens, noblemen, etc.

The alignment of the chariot with the sun was in full evidence during the total solar eclipse of 1980Close