Konark temple

           

Konark temple

Location : konark , Orissa , India

Coordinates : 19° 53′ 15″ N, 86° 5′ 41″ E

Konark temple was a hindu temple constructed by Narasimhadeva I of Eastern ganga dynasty around 1300 AD .It was dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun god. It has been declared as a world heritage site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1984. The word 'Konark' is a combination of two words 'Kona' and 'Arka'. 'Kona' means 'Corner' and 'Arka' means 'Sun', Which means 'Sun of the Corner'. Konark Sun Temple is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri .

History and Construction :

Konark temple was built by the  King Narasimhadeva I, the great ruler of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, with the help of 1200 artisans within a period of 12 years (1243-1255 A.D.). Since the ruler used to worship the Sun, the temple was considered as a chariot for the Sun God. Konark Temple was designed in the form of a chariot mounted on 24 wheels which was  drawn by 7 mighty horses. A great fight took place between the Muslim army, under the said Tughan Khan and Narasimhadeva I, at Katasin, in the year 1243 A.D., where the former were completely defeted and ran away. The heavy loss of lives in this war was so severe. Narasimhadeva's victory in this war must have enormously enhanced his prestige in the eyes of the contemporary Hindu Kings and as such, he wanted to build a temple to represent both, a shrine and a Kirti-Stambha to commemorate his victory according to his royal status and prestige.After the battle 

While bathing in the river , Narasimhadeva I found the image of god fashioned out of surya's body .

Their was a history for that idle being their . Samba  son of krishna , who was cursed to suffer from leprosy by Lord krishna for his misbehavior . Suffering from leprosy samba prayed for god surya to get rid of his curse . Being cured samba promised lord surya that he will construct a temple for him . 

Architecture and Style :

The Konark temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within . The entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. The lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consumes man . Konark temple was initially built on the sea bank but now the sea has receded and the temple is a little away from the beach. This temple was also known as 'BLACK PAGODA' due to its dark color and used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha . It's color was due to Black granite and Black Pagoda which were used mostly in its construction .

The temple follows the traditional style of  Kalinga architecture . It is oriented towards the east so that the first rays of the sunrise strike the main entrance.

Other temples:

The Konark Sun Temple complex has ruins of many subsidiary shrines and monuments around the main temple.1. Mayadevi Temple2. Vaishnava temple 3.Two wells 4.kitchen 

Amazing facts about Konark :

1.The Konark is the third link of Odisha's Golden Triangle. The first link is Jagannath Puri and the second link is Bhubaneswar . 

2.The Konark temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within .

3.A heavy magnet was placed at the temple top and every two stones of the temple is sandwiched by iron plates. The idol was said to have been floating in air due to the arrangement of magnets.

4.King Narasimhadeva I, the great ruler of the Ganga dynasty had built this temple, with the help of 1200 artisans .

5.The Wheels at the Sun Temple can show accurate “Sun Dials” and are inspiration for the modern day watch technologies.

6. Konark temple was also known as "Black Pagoda" due to its color , as it was constructed using Black granite and Black pagoda . 

7.The Konark Sun temple has two huge lions on either side of the entrance. Each lion is shown crushing an elephant. Beneath each elephant lies the human body.

8.Everyday, early in the morning the Sun’s rays would reach the Nata Mandir from the coast and reflects from the diamond placed at the center of the idol.

9.Many people believe that the 7 Horses represent the 7 days of a week , but they represent the 7 rays of  light (VIBGYOR like in a rainbow) .

Damage and Restoration  :

The temple was in ruins before its restoration.  Early theories stated that the temple was never completed and collapsed during construction.some believe that  the temple was damaged either intentionally or through natural causes sometime between 1556 and 1800 CE. The intentional-damage theory is supported by Mughal era records that mention the Muslim invader Kalapahar attacking and destroying Jagannath Puri and the Konark temple.The natural-damage theory is supported by the nearness of the temple to the shore and the monsoons in the region that would tend to cause damage. According to Thomas Donaldson, evidence suggests that the damage and the temple's ruined condition can be dated to between the late 16th century and the early 17th century from the records of various surveys and repairs found in early 17th-century texts.

In 1803 the East India Marine Board requested of the Governor General of Bengal that conservation efforts be undertaken. However, the only conservation measure put in place at the time was to prohibit further removal of stones from the site. Lacking structural support, the last part of the main tower still standing, a small broken curved section, collapsed in 1848.The then-Raja of Khurda, who had jurisdiction over this region in the early 19th century, removed some stones and sculptures to use in a temple he was building in Puri. A few gateways and some sculptures were destroyed in the process.In 1903, when a major excavation was attempted nearby, the then-Lieutenant governor of Bengal, J. A. Baurdilon, ordered the temple to be sealed and filled with sand to prevent the collapse of the Jagamohana. The Mukhasala and Nata Mandir were repaired by 1905.

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