Situated 35 kilometers from Puri and 64km from Bhubaneswar in the State
of Orissa is the Konark Sun Temple also known as the Black Pagoda from
its dark colour seen from a distance. The temple standing on the sandy
coast of the Bay of Bengal is considered as an Orissan 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, exquisitely
ornamented gigantic wheels on each side of the temple to pull the Sun
God, Surya, across the heavens.
Konark Dance Festival- the
joyous festival of classical dance and music is held annually in
the month of February.
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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 was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984.
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