Konark, Sun Temple
Konark, along with Bhubaneswar and Puri, forms the Golden Triangle for the best of Orissan temple architecture. The Sun Temple of Konark marks the highest point of achievement of the ancient Kalinga order of art and architecture. Even in its present state of ruins - for it lost its soaring tower long ago-it stands in majestic dignity. The magnitude of the edifice and the stupendous size of its perfectly proportioned structure are matched by endless wealth of decoration on its body from minute patterns executed with a jeweller's precision to boldly-modelled free-standing sculptures of incredibly big size.
The Temple Chariot of the Sun God (Black Pagoda)on the vast stretch of sand is an architectural marvel of 13th century, the golden era of Orissan art. This crowning piece of Orissan architecture and sculpture, which according to Rabindranath Tagore is "a poetry in stone" is on the World Heritage list. Seven centuries ago, the temple was built in the shape of a colossal chariot, carrying the sun God, Surya, across the heavens by the Ganga Dynasty ruler, Narasimha Dev (1238-64) on the shallow waters of the Bay of Bengal. The image of the Sun God traversing the heavens in his divine chariot, drawn by seven horses, is an ancient one. It is an image, in fact, which came to India with the Aryans. Today it is located two kilometers from the sea, but originally the ocean came almost up to its base.
Construction of the huge edifice is said to have taken 12 years revenues of the kingdom. The main tower has same general form as the towers of the Lingaraja and Jagannath temples. Its height, however, exceeded both of them, soaring to 227 feet. The jagmohana (porch) structure itself exceeded 120 feet in height. Both tower and porch are built on high platforms, around which are the 24 exquisite giant stone wheels of the chariot.
The main temple complex consists of a sanctuary, its attached porch(jagamohan) and an isolated pillared edifice. Erected on an impressive platform, the sanctuary and the porch are the two components of a single unified architectural scheme. The whole fabric was designed as the celestial chariot of the Sun God who is believed to course across the sky in a chariot of seven horses. The twelve pairs of wheel, which possibly symbolise the twelve months, are carved against the three sides of the platform and two side, of the front(east) staircase.
The Mukhashala or entrance hall continues to interest both devotees and visitors.The walls of this magnificent ruin have exquisite sculptures covering many aspects of life. The main sanctum is in ruins, but the Dance Hall and the Audience Hall are intact. Every inch of the remaining portions of the temple is covered with sculpture of an unsurpassed beauty and grace. Thousands of images include deities, celestial and human musicians, dancers, lovers, and myriad scenes of courtly life, ranging from hunts and military battles to the pleasures of courtly relaxation. These are interspersed with birds, animals (close to two thousand charming and lively elephants march around the base of the main temple alone), mythological creatures, and a wealth of intricate botanical and geometrical decorative designs. The temple is famous for its exquisitely delineated erotic art carved on its stone walls. The colossal figures of the war elephants holding aloft a dazzed soldier or the lions guarding the entrance to the temple or the enraged war horses trampling under their hooves a fallen warrior are a living monument of Orissa's glorious past frozen on the sands of time. There are three main images of Surya on the northern, western, and southern facades of the temple tower, carved in an almost metallic green chlorite stone in contrast to the soft weathered khondalite of the rest of the structure. The beauty of Konark is beyond words. It is to be seen, enjoyed and savoured again and again.
The Konark Dance Festival organised here every year is a great attraction for cultural cognoscenti. The Sun Temple Museum of the Archeological Survey of India has a good collection of sculptures from the temple ruins.
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