KONARK SUN TEMPLE

NEWS: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun drilling into the Jagamohan of Konark Sun Temple to remove sand packed inside to stabilise the structure during the British era.

ABOUT

• Situated in Konark, Odisha, near the Bay of Bengalà dedicated to the Hindu god Surya.
• Important pilgrimage site, part of Odisha’s Golden Triangle (Bhubaneswar–Puri–Konark).
• Referred to as the ‘Black Pagoda’ due to its dark colour.
• Built around 1250 CE by the King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 13th Century.
• Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
• Belongs to the Kalinga style (sub-style of Nagara)à characterised by a Deula (sanctum), Nata-Mandira (Dance Hall) and Jagamohana (assembly hall).
• Built with Khond alite stonesà advanced knowledge of astronomy reflected in alignment with sunrise= first rays fall on the entrance.
• Khond alite stonesà It is a foliated metamorphic rock (garnetiferous-sillimanite schist/gneiss) found primarily in India’s Eastern Ghats, named after the Khond tribe of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

Features

• Symbolismà A giant stone chariot of the Sun God= featuring 24 intricately carved wheels and seven horses.
• The 24 wheels represent the hours of the day and the cycle of time.
• The seven horses symbolise the seven days of the week and the Sun’s energy.
• The reliefs of lions, dancers, musicians, and erotic sculptures & also depict scenes from daily life, mythology and cultural practices of that time.