Konark Sun Temple

Konark Sun Temple is one of the oldest temples located in Odisha. It is dedicated to the Sun God, Lord Surya and was built by King Narasimhadeva in 1250 AD to celebrate military victory. The temple bears a resemblance to the fabled chariot of the Sun God. It is a breathtaking evidence of ancient Indian architecture where the language of stone defeats the language of man. The magnificent temple is one of India’s architectural wonders and is declared as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1984. The temple walls are adorned with versatile sculptures of Gods, animals, geometric patterns, events and erotic figures.

Konark Sun Temple is like a beautiful form of art chiseled out of black stone and is also called the Black Pagoda. The main attraction of the temple is its twelve pairs of wheels located at the base of the temple. It is believed that the wheels represent the hours of the day and the shadow of these majestic wheels tells the exact time. The temple is covered with exquisite sculptures of beautiful maidens, erotic couples, dancers, deities and animals. Other attractions include the Museum of Archeological Survey of India, which exhibits an assortment of dazzling Oriyan architecture. And the Konark Dance Festival held here in the month of December is a remarkable event of three day cultural extravaganza showcasing the Indian exponents of various Indian classical dance forms and folk dances.