THE HISTORY BEHIND KONARK SUN TEMPLE

Visiting temples and offering prayers, in return gaining blessings of well-being and prosperity is what all devotees do. Have you ever wondered about its history, construction, and the sculptures involved in temples? Let us know about the history and significance of the Sun Temple.

The Konark Sun Temple is dedicated to the Hindu sun god also known as Surya Bhagavan, and, considered as a giant stone chariot with twelve wheels, it is one of the famous Sun temples built in India, located about 35 km northeast part of the city of Puri on the coastline in the state of Odisha.

It was built in 1250 CE by a King named Narasimhadeva, who ruled for 1238-1264, of the Eastern Ganga dynasty from the 8th to 15th century. This temple was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1984 CE. Although many portions are ruined, the remains of the temple complex continue to draw not only tourists but also Hindu pilgrims. The Konarak Sun Temple stands as a classic example of Hindu temple architecture, complete with a colossal structure, beautiful sculptures, and magnificent artwork on myriad themes.

Let us dive into the architecture of Konark Sun Temple, The word ‘Konark’ is derived from a Sanskrit word with a combination of “Kona” known as a corner, and “Arka” which means Sun implying the main deity as Sun God and resembling the angular construction of it.

Every temple has its style of construction and here it follows the Kalinga style of architecture, which is a subset of the nagara style, which means building on stones, of Hindu temple architecture. The nagara style was one among the three styles of Hindu temple architecture in India and northern India, while in the south, the Dravida style was predominated and in central and eastern parts of India, they followed the vesara style.

These styles can be recognized by how characteristics such as ground plan and elevation were represented visually. The nagara style is defined by a square ground plan, containing a shrine and assembly hall also known as mandapa. And coming to the elevation, there is a huge curvilinear tower called shikhara that was built, inclining inwards and capped.

Even though Odisha lies in the eastern region of the country, still, the nagara style was adopted. This was because King Anantavarman’s kingdoms included many areas in Northern India as well, the style accepted there decisively impacted the architectural plans of the temples that were to be built in Odisha by King Anantavarman. After he adopted the same traditions, they were carried by his successors too, and with time, many enhancements were made.

Discussing the main characteristics of the Orissa style are of two primarily: the duel known as the sanctum housing the deity Sun covered by a shikhara and the jaganmohana known as the assembly hall. The latter has a pyramidal roof built up by secession of falling platforms known as pidhas. Both structures are squares internally and share a common platform. The exterior is diversified into projections in this style as rathas which create effects of light and shade of the Sun. Each temple built in this style shows its unique distinctions, and Konarak is one among them.

Moving on to the style, here it follows the architecture of the Lingaraja temple which was built around 1100 CE in the city of Bhuvaneshwar, the capital state of Odisha, and known popularly as the Khakhara style. In this design, the temple is situated within a large quadrilateral court enclosed by massive walls and with a massive gate in the east.

These halls are dedicated to various activities like dancing, serving meals, gatherings, and so on. The Konarak Sun temple represents the fulfillment and finality of the Orissan architectural movement’ which was grand and impressive even in its ruin.

There is also a famous story and belief associated with temple Konark lets us know what it is. According to the Hindu texts and mythology it was believed to be the most sacred place for the worship of God Surya in the entire Odisha region. In praise for healing his skin ailment, Samba, one of the gods Krishna’s many sons, built a temple in the honor of God Surya.

He even brought some sun-worshippers from Persia, as the local Brahmanas or the priestly class among the Hindus refused to worship Surya. This story was associated with a sun temple and Sun God in north-western parts of India but was shifted to Konarak. Konarak, over time, had emerged as one of the important sites for sun worship.

Although three were many stories and reasons for the construction of Sun Temple. The exact reason for the building of the temple by King Narasimhadeva is not known yet. Historians have assumed that the king did to express his gratitude for a wish-fulfillment of a conquest. This is proven by the sculptures depicting royal activities, including hunts, processions, and military scenes of the King which ’emphasizes the fact that the Sun Temple is the accomplishment of the dazzling dream of an ambitious king.

Moving on to the construction and Sculptures of the Sun temple. Three kinds of stone were used in the temple’s construction namely chlorite, laterite, and khondalite. Khondalite was used throughout the temple while chlorite was used for door frames and to a few sculptures, finally, laterite was used in the foundation, or the invisible core of the platform, and in the staircases to climb up.

None of these stones was available near the site and so the material was brought from long distances. The stone blocks were lifted probably by the means of pulleys, wooden wheels and then set into place. The fitting and finishing were done so smoothly that the joints of the temple could not be seen. During Narasimhadeva’s reign, Eastern Ganga art reached its peak. At Konark and therefore, the sculptures display these heights.

In the era of Kalinga sculpture is better represented than in the large and miniature carvings which decorate the jaganmohana of the stone temple at Konarak. Each and every bit of space available has been covered by the sculptors that appears as an endless variety of themes, with figures indulging in song and dance and in activities related to kama, a Sanskrit word that means, desires and sensual enjoyment.

There are also depictions of birds and animals, besides floral and geometrical motifs. The designs were carved soon after the stones had been set into place.

The Konarak Sun Temple depicts the joy of royal life on earth and the expression of the richness and beauty prevailing in the royal environment. And hence, the temple appears more like the dream of a King, who wanted his name and his earthly deeds to be memorialized, but who also wanted to prove himself a devotee of Sun God, like all other Indian kings.

Today, this particular site is not only popular with tourists and pilgrims but also serves as a venue for cultural festivals, classical Indian dance performances. Thus, even today the Konark Sun Temple remains to play its vital role in preserving India’s cultural heritage. This is all about the great pilgrim Sun Temple.