Konark Temple Orissa (Sun Temple)

Konark Temple
Konark Temple is the most prominent and major attraction of Konark in Orissa. This temple was constructed by King Narsingha Deva to commemorate his triumph over Muslims. It is dedicated to Lord Surya or Sun God and it is also acclaimed as Sun Temple. The convoluted engravings and affluent sculpts make this temple legitimately a sight to contemplate. The architecture of the temple makes one to extol the Orissan pattern of artistic creation. This chapel is only elevated in the form of gargantuan chariot. Tripiago can assist you people in gaining added knowledge of a particular temple.
At the entrance, one can view the two immense lions that pop up to be escorting the temple. The main sanctum depicts the majestic stride of the Lord Surya. The figures are etched in an amorous style and demeanor. These carvings interpret figures of sacred, semi-sacred, human and animal figures along with dendritic and geometric ornamentation. The magnificent colleen and coryphées are remarkable for their voluptuous allure. In India, Konark is one of the antiquated places of sun worshipping quoted in the ancient sculptures like Puranas. The Sun Temple is enveloped by meandering sands and it is supposed that it has been acquired in a time span of 16 years with the endeavor of 1200 masons. We bestow in propounding all the amenities to the people and believe in 100% customer satisfaction. You should not waste time and get connected to us to make your foray outstanding.

HISTORY
Konark derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. Konarka is actually a combination of two words, Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which, when combined, means the sun of the corner. Konark was one of the earliest centres of Sun worshipping in India. The place finds mention in the Puranas as Mundira or Mundirasvamin, a name that was subsequently replaced by Konaditya or Konarka. Apart from the Puranas, other religious texts also point towards the existence of a sun temple at Konark long before the present temple. Konark was once a bustling port of Kalinga and had good maritime trade relations with Southeast Asian countries. The present Sun Temple was probably built King Narashimhadev I (AD 1238-64) of the Ganga dynasty to celebrate his victory over the Muslims. The temple fell into disuse in the early 17th century after it was desecrated by an envoy of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. However, legend has it that the temple was constructed by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. It is said that Samba was afflicted by leprosy, brought about by his father's curse on him. After 12 years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour he built this temple.

ARCHITECTURE
The massive structure of the temple, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendor surrounded by the drifting sands. The entire temple has been designed in the shape of a chariot carrying the Sun God across the heavens. The huge intricate wheels of the chariot, which are carved around the base of the temple, are the major attractions of the temple. The spokes of these wheelsserve as sundials, and the shadows formed by these can give the precise time of the day. The pyramidal roof of the temple, made of sandstone, soars over 30 m in height. Like the temples at Khajuraho, the Sun Temple at Konark is also covered with erotic sculptures.

THE LEGENDS
No one really knows why a temple was erected here, but there are many legends to account for its appearance. The most popular concerns 'Samba', the son of Lord Krishna. Samba was inordinately proud of his beauty. So proud that he once made the mistake of ridiculing a celebrated sage, 'Narada', who was not renowned for his looks. Narada was not amused. Always mischievous, he decided to have his revenge on the arrogant boy. He managed to lure the unsuspecting Samba to the pool where his stepmothers, the luscious consorts of Krishna, were bathing in joyful abandon. When Krishna heard that his son had become a peeping tom, he was furious and cursed him with leprosy. Realizing later that the innocent boy had been tricked by Narada's cunning, Krishna was mortified. But he could not revoke his course; all he could do was advise his son to worship the sun god 'Surya', healer of all diseases, and hope for a cure. After twelve years of penance and worship, Samba was at last instructed by Surya to go and bathe in the sea at Konark. He did so and was cured of his awful affliction. Samba was so delighted that he decided there and then to erect a Surya temple on these spot. It was called "Konark", "Place of the Sun," from which the modern name comes.