Travel : Konark Sun Temple , Orissa - India

The Konark Sun temple was constructed by King Narasimhadeva in the 13th century at Konark , Orissa ( India ) . The temple premises holds a gigantic stone chariot of the Sun God with 24 huge ornamented wheels and 7 horses dragging it . The intricacy of it is a stunning example of the Kalinga architecture . It is said to have taken 1,200 artisans and craftsmen 12 years to complete the construction . It is also as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . December of 2011, I made last minute travel plans to visit my parents in India. I also had to go to Kolkata ( West Bengal ) to extend my US visa . En-route to Hyderabad my mom and I made a 2 day stop over at Bubaneswar , Orissa . No trip to Orissa is complete without paying a visit to the Jagannath Temple in Puri and of course experiencing the beauty to this majestic Sun temple in Korark.


The minute I entered the temple complex in Kornak , I stood awestruck by the hugeness of it. Anywhere I laid my eyes I saw fine intricate details and sculptures . After spending a few quite moments I shook myself up to tour the surroundings. 


The entrance is guarded by two giant lions crushing a war elephant that in turn lies on top on a human body . Not sure what it signifies but most temples in India have statues of lions  guarding at the entrance.Interesting.

Rabindranath Tagore said - " Here the language of the stone surpasses the language of the man " . Isn't it trure ? What , splendor ! It is also very interesting to note that the temple was originally constructed right on the shore and over centuries the sea receded a few kilometers . Attacks from other empires, erosion due to sea salt and other natural calamities covered this temple complex in layers of sand and dust for years . The restoration began in the early 20th century under the British .

24 beautiful ornate wheels drag this chariot of the Sun God. These have intricate carving of animals, humans and Gods . Each wheel is about 9 feet in diameter . Some archaeologists say 24 wheels represent the 24 hours of a day .

There are many Legends associated with the temple . As per some this was a fully functional temple until the 17th century and muslim invaders destroyed it . Some others say that a weak foundation and hasty construction was responsible for its collapse . While there are others that talk about the curse on the Sun God that caused its downfall ...

I was lucky to have been in Kornak during the annual dance festival . There were classical dancers from all over the country performing . It was a joy to watch them.

With legends , stories , kings I felt  nothing more than a minute particle in this fleeting time . Everything stood still . The Sun temple at Konark is a masterpiece of art.