No trip of Orissa is complete without a visit to the Sun Temple in Konark. Tourists all over the world know the temple to be an example of excellence in architecture, craftsmanship and sheer grandeur. The Sun Temple, as the name goes, is a tribute to the Sun God. The temple dates back to 1278 and was built by King Narasimha Deva of the Ganga dynasty. The structure of the temple initially earned it the name of ‘Black Pagoda’. ‘Konark’ means ‘corner (‘kon’) of the sun (‘arka’)’.
Legend has it that Lord Krishna cursed Samba for venturing into the bathing chambers of his wives. Samba was struck with leprosy. Lord Krishna assured him that if he prayed to the Sun God for forgiveness at the north east sea coast of Puri, the curse would leave him. Samba went hunting for the location and discovered an image of the Sun God ensconced in a lotus. He worshiped Him and was redeemed of his curse. With that, the site for the Sun Temple was born.
There are several theories about the missing dome of the Sun Temple. Some say that the construction was never strong enough to bear the dome. Some say that the grand dome caused ships to sink in the adjacent seashore so it was removed and destroyed. Despite the missing dome, the temple is a wonderful tapestry of carvings, decorations and architectural brilliance.
It’s built as the chariot of the Sun God, with 24 wheels and spokes firmly in place. The spokes are time tellers. An expert of the temple or a tour guide can easily tell the time of day by reading the sun rays falling on a wheel. Another tourist attraction is the erotic carving on the walls of the ‘natamandir’ or the dance hall. The motifs of the carvings include men, women, animals, warriors and several other enigmatic symbols.
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