Konark Sun Temple is one of the famous temples of India, belonging from the time of King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It was built around the 13th century CE in about the year 1250. The Temple resides on the coastline about 35 kilometers northeast of the main city of Puri. The Temple belongs to the Sun God Surya. The king sponsored The construction of this Temple, and Siva Samantaraya Mahapatra oversaw it. This Temple existed near an old Surya Temple. The structure of the older Temple’s sanctum was re-consecrated into the architecture of the new and much larger Temple. People often include the tour of the Temple in many Puri Tour Packages. One can find it on various lists enlisting the Places to visit in puri.

Konark Sun Temple Magnet:

The Konark Sun Temple has many theories attached to it. The most popular one of them is the theory about magnets and the floating idol. The Temple consisted of the placement of magnets. The lodestone on the top of the Temple was a 52-tonne magnet. Legends say that the statue at the Temple consisted of iron, and thus it floated in the air without any support due to the arrangements of the magnets around it and on top of it.

Konark Sun Temple Architecture:

Konark Sun Temple is one of the few Hindu temples whose planning and architectural records exist. The script is that of Odia and has been in Sanskrit in the form of palm-leaf manuscripts indeed. These manuscripts were found in a village in the 1960s. The Temple follows the traditional style of Kalinga Architecture. The Temple consists of Khondalite, Chlorite, and Laterite rocks. The main Temple of Konark or the ‘Deul’ no longer exists to this day indeed. The ‘Deul’ resided on a high terrace and was a large complex containing multiple sanctums and halls. And the walls of the ‘Jagamohana’ of the Temple are 100 feet high. The sanctum sanctorum was originally estimated to have been 229 feet high indeed. Among the few structures that stand tall to this day are the dance hall (Nata Mandira) and the dining hall (Bhoga Mandapa).

Konark Sun Temple Facts

The Konark Sun Temple is very significant to the Indian cultural heritage indeed. This is why the Temple reflects on the Indian currency notes of 10 rupees. The source of destruction of this majestic piece of art is still a controversy indeed. Some say that the reason behind the destruction of this Temple is a natural phenomenon, while some argue that several Muslim invaders and armies deliberately destroyed the Temple between the 15th and 17th centuries.

Konark Sun Temple Specialty

The Konark Sun temple is the epitome of the supreme architectural brilliance of India. The Temple dedicated to the Sun God finds itself in many texts. Several Puranas mention Surya worship centers in Mundira which may have been the earlier name of Konark. Thus, this Temple is a very central figure in Indian art, architecture, and heritage.