Sun Temple - सूर्य मंदिर (कोणार्क)
|
.jpg) More images... |
Temple is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Konark. The credit for constructing this 13th century old shrine, dedicated to Sun God, goes to Raja Narsimhadeva of the Ganga dynasty. Konark Sun Temple has been built in the form of a gigantic chariot that has 24 wheels. Each of the wheels is nearly 10 feet in diameter. The chariot is drawn by seven horses. The temple, adorned with intricate and exquisite sculptural work, holds the distinction of being one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
There is an interesting legend associated with the Sun temple of Konarak. It is said that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna and Jambavati, committed the mistake of entering the bathing place of Lord Krishna’s wives. Angry at the act of his son, Lord Krishna cursed Samba with leprosy and made a proclamation that he would be relieved of this curse only when he worshipped Lord Surya with full devotion. Acting upon the decree, Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra. There, he found the idol of Sun God seated on a lotus.
The boy sincerely worshipped the Lord and was finally able to obtain freedom from this punishment. One of the most striking features of the Konark Sun temple consists of the extraordinary sculptures that depict the various aspects of life. It also portrays the scenes from civil life and war. Human love has been expressed in the most amazing manner. As far as its designing is concerned, this temple is the one of its kind in India. Every year, it serves as the venue for two festivals, the Konark Dance Festival and the Sun Festival.
Situated 36 kilometers from Puri and 64km from Bhubaneswar in the State of Orissa, Konark Temple also known as the Black Pagoda from its dark colour seen from a distance. The Sun temple, also known as 'Konark Temple' and 'Black Pagoda' is considered as an Orissan temple architectural, engineering wonder and one of the finest monuments of religious architecture in the world. The entire temple complex in Konark is conceived by its architect, Sibei Samantaray, in the shape of a chariot with seven horses (three on the north and four on the south) and 24 spoke gigantic wheels on each side of the temple to pull the Sun God, Surya, across the heavens.
The Temple was erected in the mid-13th century by Orissan King of Ganga Dynasty Narasimhadev I (AD 1238-64) to commemorate his victorious expansion into Bengal, and as a symbol of Hindu might against the encroaching Muslims; in the late 15th century, however, Konark was taken and pillaged by Muslim armies, and over the years its great tower collapsed, and sand and rubble covered most of the structure. It was only in the early 20th century that archaeologists unearthed and began to restore the stone temple, which is constructed in the form of a processional chariot. The regally splendid monument is dedicated to both to god and man.
Konark derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. It is the combination of Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which, when combined, means the sun of the corner. According to popular lore, it was here that the cult of sun-worship began some 5,000 years ago. 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. Sun temple has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The temple is a brilliant chronicle in stone, with impressive sculptures. It took 16 years to complete. 1,200 artisans and 12,000 labourers were employed on the task. In its original form. the total height of the temple was 227 feet and the temple is set in the middle of a spacious compound which lies about 2m below the surrounding land. The temple consists of a Deula, a Jagamohana and pillared Natamandapa. The Deula and Jagamohana stand close to each other above a high platform but the Natamandapa is a detached structure. The super structure of main shrine i.e.Deula has fallen down so also the super structure of the Natamandapa. The Jagamohana is intact. The joint structure of the Vimana (The main sanctum) and Jagamohana were conceived in the form of a Chariot (Ratha) of the Sun,drawn by seven impetuous horses, the chariot having 12 pairs of 8-spoke wheels. Some say the wheels represent the 24 hours in a day and others say the 12 months in its concept. The seven horses make up the seven colours of the prism. The surface of it is intricately carved with some of the most fantastic sculpture seen in India. Both the main Deul and the Jagamohana, the ruins of the dancing hall and of the Mayadevi Temple in the Sun Temple compound, are covered with platforms, horses, floral motifs, colossal mythical animals, whimsical depictions of daily life, trade, erotic sculptures of amorous dalliances, war and trade and erotic imagery of human love manifested in countless forms as marvelous and detailed as those seen at Khajuraho. There are also huge animal statues: two lions guard the pyramidal entrance, and on each side of the temple is a colossal war elephant, and a war horse trampling on fallen warriors. The pyramidal roof of the temple, made of sandstone, soars over 30 m in height and constructed with great precision.
The temple looks particularly impressive in the evening as it is illuminated between 6 and 9pm. Today the amphitheater with the Sun Temple at the backdrop is the venue of classical dance during the Konark Dance Festival in winter.
The roof of the jagamohana, made of horizontal tiers grouped in three stages with life-size female sculptures of matchless charm and delicacy adorning each stage, the whole surmounted by two stupendous crowning members, produces a picturesque contrast of light and shade and is unparalleled for its grandeur and structural propriety. Majestic in conception, this temple is indeed one of the sublimest monuments of India, notable as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of architectural grandeur with plastic elegance.
Mayadevi Temple :- To the west of the main temple are the remains of temple no.2 popularly called the temple of Mayadevi, believed to have been one of the wives of Lord Surya. But the presence of the sun images as parsvadevata in-situ indicate its dedication to the sun god, built earlier than the main Sun temple. The temple facing east, consists of a sanctum (deul) and a porch (Jagamohana) standing over a raised platform, façade of which is relieved with ornamentation. The superstructures of the sanctum and porch are missing. The interior of the porch is notable for their sculptural treatment while the sanctum is devoid of any deity. Stylistically, the temple is assignable to circa late eleventh century AD.
Vaishnava Temple:- The small brick temple facing east in south-west corner of the compound was discovered in 1956 during the sand clearance. Also called temple no.3 is pancharatha on plan. It consists of a deul and a Jagamohana but with the superstructure is missing and devoid of any exterior decoration. Images of Balarama and two parsvadevatas of Varaha and Trivikrama were unearthed (now displayed in Archaeological Museum, Konark) proving its Vaishnava affiliation. The temple is datable to circa eleventh century A.D.
There is an interesting legend associated with the Sun temple of Konarak. It is said that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna and Jambavati, committed the mistake of entering the bathing place of Lord Krishna’s wives. Angry at the act of his son, Lord Krishna cursed Samba with leprosy and made a proclamation that he would be relieved of this curse only when he worshipped Lord Surya with full devotion. Acting upon the decree, Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra. There, he found the idol of Sun God seated on a lotus.
The boy sincerely worshipped the Lord and was finally able to obtain freedom from this punishment. One of the most striking features of the Konark Sun temple consists of the extraordinary sculptures that depict the various aspects of life. It also portrays the scenes from civil life and war. Human love has been expressed in the most amazing manner. As far as its designing is concerned, this temple is the one of its kind in India. Every year, it serves as the venue for two festivals, the Konark Dance Festival and the Sun Festival.
Situated 36 kilometers from Puri and 64km from Bhubaneswar in the State of Orissa, Konark Temple also known as the Black Pagoda from its dark colour seen from a distance. The Sun temple, also known as 'Konark Temple' and 'Black Pagoda' is considered as an Orissan temple architectural, engineering wonder and one of the finest monuments of religious architecture in the world. The entire temple complex in Konark is conceived by its architect, Sibei Samantaray, in the shape of a chariot with seven horses (three on the north and four on the south) and 24 spoke gigantic wheels on each side of the temple to pull the Sun God, Surya, across the heavens.
The Temple was erected in the mid-13th century by Orissan King of Ganga Dynasty Narasimhadev I (AD 1238-64) to commemorate his victorious expansion into Bengal, and as a symbol of Hindu might against the encroaching Muslims; in the late 15th century, however, Konark was taken and pillaged by Muslim armies, and over the years its great tower collapsed, and sand and rubble covered most of the structure. It was only in the early 20th century that archaeologists unearthed and began to restore the stone temple, which is constructed in the form of a processional chariot. The regally splendid monument is dedicated to both to god and man.
Konark derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. It is the combination of Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which, when combined, means the sun of the corner. According to popular lore, it was here that the cult of sun-worship began some 5,000 years ago. 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. Sun temple has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The temple is a brilliant chronicle in stone, with impressive sculptures. It took 16 years to complete. 1,200 artisans and 12,000 labourers were employed on the task. In its original form. the total height of the temple was 227 feet and the temple is set in the middle of a spacious compound which lies about 2m below the surrounding land. The temple consists of a Deula, a Jagamohana and pillared Natamandapa. The Deula and Jagamohana stand close to each other above a high platform but the Natamandapa is a detached structure. The super structure of main shrine i.e.Deula has fallen down so also the super structure of the Natamandapa. The Jagamohana is intact. The joint structure of the Vimana (The main sanctum) and Jagamohana were conceived in the form of a Chariot (Ratha) of the Sun,drawn by seven impetuous horses, the chariot having 12 pairs of 8-spoke wheels. Some say the wheels represent the 24 hours in a day and others say the 12 months in its concept. The seven horses make up the seven colours of the prism. The surface of it is intricately carved with some of the most fantastic sculpture seen in India. Both the main Deul and the Jagamohana, the ruins of the dancing hall and of the Mayadevi Temple in the Sun Temple compound, are covered with platforms, horses, floral motifs, colossal mythical animals, whimsical depictions of daily life, trade, erotic sculptures of amorous dalliances, war and trade and erotic imagery of human love manifested in countless forms as marvelous and detailed as those seen at Khajuraho. There are also huge animal statues: two lions guard the pyramidal entrance, and on each side of the temple is a colossal war elephant, and a war horse trampling on fallen warriors. The pyramidal roof of the temple, made of sandstone, soars over 30 m in height and constructed with great precision.
The temple looks particularly impressive in the evening as it is illuminated between 6 and 9pm. Today the amphitheater with the Sun Temple at the backdrop is the venue of classical dance during the Konark Dance Festival in winter.
How to get there
Air
Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar, 65km away.Rail
Nearest railhead is Puri on South East Railways, 35km away.Road
35km from Puri on the Marine Drive, 65km from Bhubaneswar, Konark is connected by an all-weather road. Regular bus services operate from Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar.Sun Temple, Konarak (1984), Orissa
Built in the thirteenth century, it was conceived as a gigantic solar chariot with twelve pairs of exquisitely-ornamented wheels dragged by seven rearing horses. The temple comprised a sanctum with a lofty (presumably over 68 m. high) sikhara, a jagamohana (30. m. square and 30. m. high) and a detached nata-mandira (hall of dance) in the same axis, besides numerous subsidiary shrines. The sanctum and the nata-mandira have lost their roof. The nata-mandira exhibits a more balanced architectural design than that of other Orissan temples. The sanctum displays superb images of the Sun-god in the three projections which are treated as miniature shrines. The sanctum and the jagamohana together stand on a common platform studded with an intricate wealth of decorative ornaments and sculptures, often of a highly erotic type.The roof of the jagamohana, made of horizontal tiers grouped in three stages with life-size female sculptures of matchless charm and delicacy adorning each stage, the whole surmounted by two stupendous crowning members, produces a picturesque contrast of light and shade and is unparalleled for its grandeur and structural propriety. Majestic in conception, this temple is indeed one of the sublimest monuments of India, notable as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of architectural grandeur with plastic elegance.
Mayadevi Temple :- To the west of the main temple are the remains of temple no.2 popularly called the temple of Mayadevi, believed to have been one of the wives of Lord Surya. But the presence of the sun images as parsvadevata in-situ indicate its dedication to the sun god, built earlier than the main Sun temple. The temple facing east, consists of a sanctum (deul) and a porch (Jagamohana) standing over a raised platform, façade of which is relieved with ornamentation. The superstructures of the sanctum and porch are missing. The interior of the porch is notable for their sculptural treatment while the sanctum is devoid of any deity. Stylistically, the temple is assignable to circa late eleventh century AD.
Vaishnava Temple:- The small brick temple facing east in south-west corner of the compound was discovered in 1956 during the sand clearance. Also called temple no.3 is pancharatha on plan. It consists of a deul and a Jagamohana but with the superstructure is missing and devoid of any exterior decoration. Images of Balarama and two parsvadevatas of Varaha and Trivikrama were unearthed (now displayed in Archaeological Museum, Konark) proving its Vaishnava affiliation. The temple is datable to circa eleventh century A.D.
 1.jpg)
 2.jpg)
 3.jpg)
 4.jpg)
 5.jpg)
 6.jpg)
 7.jpg)
 8.jpg)
.jpg)
 Photo by : pardeshi in Flickr |
 Photo by : owenstache in Flickr |
|
|
|
 Photo by : owenstache in Flickr |
 Photo by : owenstache in Flickr |
|
|
|
 Photo by : mdebruyne in webshots |
 Photo by : tresorperfumescent in webshots |
|
|
|
 Photo by : mdebruyne in webshots |
|
|
|
|