Once the Nobel Laureate poet Rabindra Nath Tagore said, “ The language of man here is defeated by the language of stone. The Sun Temple in Konark, Orissa describes the tradition of stone sculptors, that speaks a lot more about the glorying history of ancient eras. It was built during the reign of the Ganga King Narasimha Deva and was popularly referred to as the Black Pagoda.
The colossal edifice was built in 13th century A.D on the sun-kissed beach of Chandrabhaga. As the sun set in its horizon and the glitzy stars appears in the endless sky, the gracefully carved out figures of the dancers and musicians seems to create a dream-like vision, following the rhythm of Raga and Taal.
Sun Temple Architecture:
The magnificent Sun Temple is the crowning triumph of the temple architecture of Orissa. Dedicated to the worship of Sun God, the entire complex of the shrine describes the chariot of Sun God with 24 wheels, each measuring about 10 feet in diameter. It finely built temple is dragged by seven horses and two lions, appears like crushing the elephants and guarding the entrance.
Interestingly, one have a clear view of some cravings in the erotic style. The mark the base of the temple, roofs and up the walls. Three images of the Sun God are sculptured in such a position that each one receives the sparkling rays of Sun at the dawn, noon and dusk. Other images of animals, warriors, me
n, women, foliage etc are arranged in an eye-catching manner.
How to reach Konark:
Well developed railway station and airport is situated in Bhubaneshwar, situated 65 km from Konark.
The Sun Temple is just 33 km from Puri and one can easily find private coaches, buses operating to and from the temple town.
Also, tourist buses from Bhubaneshwar and Puri are good option for reaching the destination.