Konark Sun Temple

Visitors to the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha, will soon be able to see the newly carved stones on the northern side of the jagmohan, or the assembly hall, of the World Heritage Site.

Details –

• The pilot project started in 2019 with a study of the stones at the temple and an analysis of the historic drawings and photos from the 19th century onwards.
• Starting in 1901, the British government had placed plain stones across the site and filled the jagmohan with sand to preserve the structure of the 13th century temple. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out conservation works after the site was handed over to it in 1936.
• According to the National Conservation Policy (2014), Restoration may be undertaken on monuments with high architectural value and only in parts of a monument wherein there are missing geometric or floral patterns, or structural members of a monument which have been damaged recently.

About Konark Sun Temple –

• Konark Sun Temple, located in the eastern State of Odisha near the sacred city of Puri, is dedicated to the sun God or Surya.
• It is a monumental representation of the sun God Surya’s chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of seven horses.
• It is a masterpiece of Odisha’s medieval architecture and one of India’s most famous Brahman sanctuaries.
• The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. It marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting the grace, the joy and the rhythm of life all its wondrous variety.
• The temple declared a world heritage by UNESCO was built in A.D. 1250, during the reign of the Eastern Ganga King Narasimhadeva-I (A.D. 1238-64).
• There are two rows of 12 wheels on each side of the Konark sun temple.
• It is said that the wheels represent the 24 hours in a day and many others believe that they represent the 12 months.
• The seven horses are said to symbolise the seven days of the week.
• Sailors once called this Sun Temple of Konark, the Black Pagoda because it was supposed to draw ships into the shore and cause shipwrecks.