Konark Sun Temple

News: Recently, Singapore’s President visited the world heritage site of Sun Temple at Konark. 

About Konark Sun Temple

• The temple was built by King Narasimha Deva I of the Ganga Dynasty in the 13th century as a tribute to the Sun God. 
• It represents the architectural brilliance of the Kalinga temple architecture. 
• The Sun Temple was constructed in the sea to give the appearance of the Sun God rising from the water at dawn. 
• The temple was referred to as Black Pagoda by the European sailors due to the perception of the temple’s roof being dark. 
• It comprises several distinct and well-organized spatial units like  jahamogana (audience hall), Natya Mandap (dance hall), Bhoga Mandap (dining hall). 
• The original temple had a vimana that fell in 1837. 
• The temple was fashioned like the Sun God’s chariot, which was drawn by seven horses and had twenty-four carved wheels. 
  • The wheels are designed in a way that one can gauge the time of the day by looking at the shadow cast on the spoke of the wheels by the sun.  
  • The 24-spoke Konark wheel has also been incorporated into India’s national flag.  
  • The wheel’s circular motion represents time (Kalachakra) as well as development and ongoing change in the cosmos. 
• The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.