Odisha, being the most cyclone-prone state of India has never disappointed its visitors with its safely-preserved gems. The Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, existing as a major attraction in the state with a spectacular history to eye on, will tell you why the Lord of the Sun is not worshipped in the temple. The appealing facts about this temple along with its age-old footprint and its importance in the tourism of Odisha are too expensive to miss!
Why is Odisha famous for tourism?
The “Land of God” Odisha, previously known as Orissa, lies on the eastern shoreline of India and is globally regarded for its enthusiastic culture and traditions. The state has tirelessly constructed itself to acquire the reputable image of one of the best pilgrimage destinations in India. Odisha stands as one of the primary cosmopolitan hubs of eastern India. The foundation of this state includes rich heritage, striking traditions, breathtaking art and craft, lively festivals as well as amazing sightseeing tourist spots to stop by.
The state’s architectural icons such as the Konark Sun Temple, the widely popular Jagannath temple, the Rajarani temple, the Lingaraj temple, the Barabati palace, and caves like Udayagiri and Lalitgiri are absolutely stunning. You’ll rub your eyes in disbelief once you visit these locations in Odisha. Undeniably a prized state of India, its unique and attractive festivals throughout the year also owns a major share in Odisha tourism. Especially the very famous “Rath Yatra” is so widely acknowledged that people around the globe flock to this place during this one gala of a festival. Every popular food festival or book festival or any sort of Fair organised in any possible corner of India, will always have a reserved share for the state’s well-known handicrafts and artefacts.
What is the Konark Sun Temple famous for?
The Konark Sun temple in Odisha situated on the eastern coastline of India is one of the marvellous symbols of art and temple architecture. It is a striking witness to the 13th-century Kingdom of Odisha and a symbol of the personification of a deity. The temple is dedicated to the God of the Sun – “Surya.” The temple was officially recognised by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty around 1250 CE. Standing strong as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to date, it is one of the must-visit tourist destinations in Odisha. In this antique heritage sanctuary, you will come across all the characters of the Hindu temple along with considerable emblems in and out. Most visitors are attracted to this temple for its magnetic grandiosity.
The name of this temple, Konark, is adapted from joining together two Sanskrit words, “Kona” and “Arka.” The word “Kona” signifies an angle or a corner and the word “Arka” signifies the sun. You may address it as the Sun temple or the Konark temple or even the Konark Sun Temple. This archetypal temple holds immense importance to Odisha tourism. To date, it has been intricately taken care of. Even when the disastrous cyclone “Fani” had massively hit the state along with several other states in India, the basic structure, the main foundation along with the temple’s groundwork kept standing as it is. Although bits and pieces of the elements placed inside the temple were a little affected, no additional work had to be done in reconstructing the core of the temple.
Book Your Stay In Konark, Odisha
Why the Sun God is not worshipped in the Konark temple?
This Sun temple in Odisha temple shapes a bilateral triangle with the Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar and the Jagannath temple in Puri. In the midst of all three temples, the Konark temple shapes the corner of the triangle. The Konark temple truly exists as a standard example of the ancient architecture of a Hindu temple and exhibits massive frameworks, artworks of infinite kinds, and sculptures that attract a plethora of travellers worldwide.
Surprisingly, the Lord of the Sun is not worshipped in the temple. Now, here’s why. The history dates back to the 13th century when a total of 1,200 workers worked for straight 12 years to construct the enormous Sun temple in Odisha. It was a well-engineered masterstroke where the whole framework was constructed with stones and they were interlinked with metals. The whole metal frame was gripped together by a gigantic magnet which weighed around 5,000 kilograms. The Sun temple which we visit today is just the “Mukhasala” that is the entrance of the temple. The existing framework is only 127 feet high but the actual framework was 227 feet high.
It is highly believed that the idol of the Lord of the Sun was built of “Astadhatu”- a fusion of 8 metals and was hanged mid-air with the magnet balancing it. King Narasimhadeva I had declared a deadline for the fulfilment of the temple and had the workers not abided the same, all 1,200 workers would be beheaded. Eventually, the entire temple was well-built on time just that the “Dadhinauti”, that is the crown stone wasn’t installed yet due to some malfunction. Meanwhile “Dharmpada”, who claimed to be one of the worker’s 12-year-old sons, came to everybody’s rescue. He surprisingly managed to install the crown stone but since there was this fear of the King getting to know that it was some 12-year-old boy who fixed the issue, the poor child sacrificed his life by drowning himself in the “Chandrabhaga” river from the top of the temple. Since then, due to the unholy incident, the Sun God was never worshipped there.
Here are some interesting facts about the Konark Sun Temple
- The Konark Sun Temple in Odisha is inspired by Kalingan temple architecture, with all its crucial characters in perfect form.
- An iconic masterstroke of creative brilliant minds in conception, the temple showcases a chariot of the God of the Sun, with twelve pairs of wheels dragged by seven horses arousing its gesture across the heavens.
- Despite the temple being dedicated to the Sun God, the deity due to some in-depth historic reasons was never worshipped in the temple.
- It is adorned with iconographical representations of modern life and contemporary activities. On the north and south faces are 24 sculptured wheels, each about 3 metres in diameter, along with symbolic patterns signifying the cycle of the months and the seasons. These altogether complement the hypothetic structure of the temple-chariot.
- The temple is designated as one of the UNESCO sites in India for its uncommon structure of age-old architecture. Additionally, it is highlighted in several lists of Seven Wonders of the World.
- Centuries back, the temple was recognised by the name of “Black Pagoda” or “Kaala Pagoda” specifically addressed by the European sailors, because of the temple’s dark colour.
What is the best time to visit Odisha?
The winter season is ideally the best time to visit Odisha, given its soothing and lovely climate. This is the season when the land of art and culture witnesses a swarm of tourists gathering around all the attractive and famous tourist spots in the state. It is famously said that winter in Odisha should be experienced at least once in life because of its gorgeous beaches, calm breezy nights and the lovely atmosphere it offers during that time.
Book Your Stay In Puri, Odisha
Hero Image Credit: Images Of India/Shutterstock; Feature Image Credit: Images Of India/Shutterstock
Related Article: 10 Lesser-explored Beaches In Odisha Every Beach Bum Will Love
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: In this antique heritage sanctuary, you will come across all the characters of the Hindu temple along with considerable emblems in and out. Most visitors are attracted to this temple for its magnetic grandiosity.
Answer: The Konark Sun temple situated on the eastern coastline of India is one of the marvellous symbols of art and temple architecture.
Answer: The temple is dedicated to the God of the Sun - “Surya.” The temple was officially recognised by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty around 1250 CE.
Answer: The Konark temple truly exists as a standard example of the ancient architecture of a Hindu temple and exhibits massive frameworks, artworks of infinite kinds, and sculptures that attract a plethora of travellers worldwide.
Answer: Along with the presence of several other divinities inside the Konark temple, you’ll also see Vayu, Varuna, Vishnu, and Agni.
Answer: The history dates back to the 13th century when a total of 1,200 workers worked for straight 12 years to construct the enormous Konark temple.
Answer: The temple was officially recognised by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty around 1250 CE.
Answer: The temple is dedicated to the God of the Sun - “Surya.” The name of this temple, Konark, is adapted from joining together two Sanskrit words, “Kona” and “Arka.” The word “Kona” signifies an angle or a corner and the word “Arka” signifies the sun.
Answer: The state has tirelessly constructed itself to acquire the reputable image of one of the best pilgrimage destinations in India. Odisha stands as one of the primary cosmopolitan hubs of eastern India.
Answer: The foundation of this state includes rich heritage, striking traditions, breathtaking art and craft, lively festivals as well as amazing sightseeing tourist spots to stop by.
Answer: The “Land of God” Odisha, previously known as Orissa, lies on the eastern shoreline of India and is globally regarded for its enthusiastic culture and traditions. The state has tirelessly constructed itself to acquire the reputable image of one of the best pilgrimage destinations in India. Odisha stands as one of the primary cosmopolitan hubs of eastern India.
Answer: Undeniably a prized state of India, its unique and attractive festivals throughout the year also owns a major share in Odisha tourism. Especially the very famous “Rath Yatra” is so widely acknowledged that people around the globe flock to this place during this one gala of a festival.
Answer: The winter season is ideally the best time to visit Odisha, given its soothing and lovely climate.
Shrestha Purkayastha
Digital Writer
With a well-built background in English Honours and Mass Communication, Shrestha is a writer who holds a fair experience in understanding and creating content in terms of writing. Previously, her professional exposure counted working with Curly Tales as a content writer. Besides the routine designation, she's a photographer and an artist by passion, a trained singer by heart and of course an independent writer by an incomparable zeal. The interesting disclaimer is, she’s always on the run for her comical laugh and hilarious escaping excuses.
