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Konarka Temple, By Subham9423 – Own

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Sun Temple

Sun temple is one of the most famous monuments in India, it is a complex chariot that includes a lot of carvings with hidden meanings. The temple was built in the 13th century and was dedicated to Surya, the Hindu Sun god. It took about 12 years and thousand workers for it to be completed. It is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is famous for its unique architecture and its geometrical pattern and carved wheel that serves as a sundial. In the temple, you can witness three images of Sun God in three directions.

So if you are planning to visit the sun temple, you are likely to find an incredible piece of architecture in both design and execution. Here are the top 10 astonishing facts about the Sun Temple that you should have in mind before planning the trip.

1. It is famous for its architecture

The temple is known for its impressive for its traditional Odisha style of architecture which is also referred to as Kalinga architecture. It is designed as a chariot being pulled by a horse and wheels carved out of a single stone. The temple is built towards the east hence the first rays of the rising sun illuminate the main entrance. While the main entrance is adorned with two huge stone lions on both sides whereby they are displayed as they are stamping an elephant and man below it.

Three kinds of stone were used in its construction, they include; Chlorite, Laterite, and Khond lite rocks. The original temple consists of the main sanctuary that is surrounded by other smaller structures. The main sanctuary is said to have a height of about 225feet.

2. It is dedicated to the sun god

Sun Temple is also referred to as Surya Deula, it is therefore dedicated to the Hindu Sun god Surya. This is shown by its architecture whereby the Konark Sun Temple was built based on the Chariot Based Construction while the Sun god Surya is depicted on a chariot pulled by seven horses.

At the temple there are idols of the Lord Surya on three different sides, they are positioned in such a way that the rays of the sun fall on each idol at dawn, noon, and evening.

However the lord is depicted as follows; the morning sun portrays Lord Brahma, who is the creator, the mid-day sun portrays Lord Shiva, who is the destroyer and the evening sun portrays Lord Vishnu, who is the preserver. 

3. It conveys the passage of time

This is a photo of the ASI monument number, By Vinayaraj – Own work

According to the structure of the temple, it communicates the passage of time while it is under the control of the sun god. The 7 horses that pull the Konark Sun temple represent the total days in a week, while the twelve pairs of the wheels of the chariot represent the twelve months of the year, and the 8 spokes present in every wheel indicate the 8 stages of a woman’s day.

4. The temple was built in the 13th century

The Sun Temple was built in mid of thirteen century, it was built by King Narasimha Deva 1, who was the ruler of the Ganga Dynasty. He was a great follower of Lord Surya and therefore he wanted to devote the temple to the Sun god. After he overpowered  Tughan Khan, who was the governor of Bengal at Katalin in 1243.

It was designed by architect Bisu Maharana. It was completed in 12 years that is from 1243-1255AD.

5. The meaning of Konark

The most impressive thing is the name of the Konark Sun Temple. The word Konark is derived from the Sanskrit word; Kona and ark which mean ‘angle’ and ‘Sun’ respectively. The temple is located on the north side of Puri which signifies its name since the temple boundaries were touched seas back in the older times and the sun that was rising from the seaside seemed to be jumping out of the sea in that corner.

6. It was used as a navigation landmark

This is a photo of the ASI monument number, By Moulibose – Own work, Wikimedia

In ancient times, the temple was used by the sailor as a landmark, it was situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It was then previously called the Black Pagoda due to the many shipwrecks that had occurred off the coast. The European marines who used it as a navigation landmark were sailing Calcutta which is now known as Kolkata.

7. There is an archaeological museum of Konark

The archaeological museum is located close to the sun temple. It is home to large and many antiques. The museum had 4 galleries that showcase the antiquities that were recovered from the sun temple. The display has a rich reserve collection of the Sun Temple complex in the first gallery.

8. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

This is a photo of the ASI monument number, By Vinayaraj – Own work,

The astonishing thing is that K Konark Temple is a symbol of ancient architecture that was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site making it the only temple in the state of Odisha to receive such an honor, due to its outstanding architecture and art. It is also a Paragon of Odia art and architecture.

9. The temple is surrounded by other temples and monuments

Around the main temple, there are some complex ruins of the many subsidiary shrines that were built on the Konark Sun Temple site. They include ;

• Mayadevi Temple was dedicated to Surya’s wife, it has many carvings and a square mandapa.
• Vaishnava Temple is a small temple with sculptures of Balarama, Varaha, and Vamana
• and other monuments which include the kitchen, well 1and well

10. The seven-horse has names

This is a photo of the ASI monument number, By Rajshree Talukdar – Own work,

The seven horses are believed to have been named after the seven meters of Sanskrit, the names are also said to be poetic. They include; Gayatri, Brihati, Ushnih, Jagati, Trishtubha, Anushtubha, and Pankti.