The Sun Temple at Konark

The Sun Temple at Konark was conceived in the thirteenth century as a chariot for Surya, the sun, drawn across the sky by stone horses. Twenty-four great wheels, each taller than a person, are carved along the plinth, their spokes and hubs covered in miniature reliefs, and some of them work as sundials that still tell the hour by shadow. The main tower collapsed long ago and the sanctuary is sealed and partly packed with sand for stability, so what you walk around is the surviving assembly hall, a stepped pyramid crowded with musicians, dancers, animals and erotic panels. It stands a short way inland from the Bay of Bengal, on ground that was once closer to the water.

History

Konark, called Kainapara in Indian texts, was a trading port in the early centuries of the common era, and a sun temple stood here by at least the 9th century. The present temple is attributed to Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, who reigned from 1238 to 1264; it is one of the few Hindu temples whose planning and building records survive, on palm-leaf manuscripts in Sanskrit found in a village in the 1960s, and the work was overseen by Shiva Samantaraya Mahapatra. Of its two main structures, the dance hall and the great tower, only the smaller hall stands: the tower, which according to James Harle rose some 69 metres, fell in the late 16th century or after. A copper-plate inscription of 1384 shows the temple in active worship, Abul Fazl described it as prosperous in the 16th century, and the general Kalapahad is believed to have attacked it around 1568; the cause of its ruin is still debated. The name joins the Sanskrit words for corner and sun (Wikipedia, Konark Sun Temple).

What you'll find

• The chariot wheels - twenty-four carved stone wheels along the plinth, several of them usable as sundials.
• The assembly hall - the surviving stepped-pyramid roof, its terraces lined with figures of musicians.
• The horses and elephants - weathered draught horses at the approach and free-standing animal sculptures.
• The relief bands - dancers, deities and scenes of daily life carved across almost every surface.

When to go

November to February is dry and bearable. From April the coastal heat and humidity are heavy, and the monsoon brings long downpours. Come at opening time or in the last two hours of light, when low sun rakes across the carvings and the crowds thin out. The site is fully exposed, with almost no shade anywhere on it.

Practical notes

The main tower is gone, so the spire in photographs is the hall roof, not the sanctuary, and the interior is closed. Salt air has eroded much of the sculpture to soft outlines. Guides at the gate are persistent and their quality varies widely. Weekends and Odia holidays bring large domestic crowds, and the walk from the car park runs a gauntlet of stalls.

Nearby

Puri and its beach are an hour west, and Bhubaneswar's cluster of older temples is a half-day trip.

Key facts