Situated
36 kilometers from Puri and 64km from Bhubaneswar in the State of
Orissa, Konark Temple also known as the Black Pagoda from its dark
colour seen from a distance. The Sun temple, also known as 'Konark
Temple' and 'Black Pagoda' is considered as an Orissan temple
architectural, engineering wonder and one of the finest monuments of
religious architecture in the world.
The entire temple
complex in Konark is conceived by its architect, Sibei Samantaray,
in the shape of a chariot with seven horses (three on the north and
four on the south) and 24 spoke gigantic wheels on each side of the
temple to pull the Sun God, Surya, across the heavens.
Great
art workThe great building work at Konark is the
inspiration of King Narashima of the Ganga dynasty. partly in ruins
beacause of its close proximity to sea and the softness of the
ground, the sun temple took 1200 masons and sculptors twelve years
to build and cost the state exchequer twelve years of revenue. It is
little difficult to write about Konark because many poets of India
have celebrated it in verse. One can't conceive what it was in its
heyday.
Now only the Mukhasala or the porch and the
Nata Mandap or the Dance pavillion are left. Yet the porch alone
rivals the great temple at Bhubaneswar in height and is superior in
art to anything else build in orissa or may be else where . . Some
of the gigantic statues like the war elephants or the famous horses
show the artists' power of expression and carpenters' skill in
handling such massive materials. And yet the scenes of love and war,
of dance and music have been finished with superb attention to
details.
The lady with the suggestion of an enigmatic
smile on her lips, the amorous copue for whom the rest of world is
irrelevant or the horse, brimming with power in every limb is the
product of the hands and minds of masters . The work of art is
dedicated to God and the identity or the personality of the artist
is irrelevant.
Attractions
- Konark Beach
The beach, 3 kms away from the
temple along the Puri road, is very picturesque and you can get
the glimpses of the local fishing fleet at work. The sunrise at
this beach is a feast for the eyes. Also an ideal site for a
spot of sun-bathing
- Chaurasi
Chaurasi is the site of the shrines
dedicated to Laxminarayanan, Amareshras and Barahi. Barahi is a
deity dating back to the 9th century AD, worshipped according to
tantrik practices. She is a mother goddess with the face of a
boar and is depicted holding a fish in one hand and a cup in
another.
- The Museum Of Archaeological Survey Of India
The
museum which is just outside the temple enclosure,
houses sculptures and carvings from the ruins of the Sun Temple.
The stone architrave inside it, bearing images of nine planet
dieties, the Navagrahas, originally sat above one of the
temple's ornamental doorways, and is now kept as a living
shrine.
- Kakatapur
45 kms from Konark, Kakatapur is
located in the Prachi valley and is famous for its shrines of
Goddess Mangala and Banadurga. legend has it that the directions
for reaching the holy log from which is created Lord Jagannath's
icon comes from her. The famous 'Jhamu Yatra' is held in
April-May when devotees walk over a narrow trench strewn with
embers.
How to reach
- Air
Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar, 65km away.
- Rail
Nearest railhead is Puri on South East
Railways, 35km away.
- Road
35km from Puri on the Marine Drive, 65km
from Bhubaneswar, Konark is connected by an all-weather road.
Regular bus services operate from Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar.
