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Konark Pop:
16,000 Konark,
also known as Arka-Tirtha, is known for its fantastic temple of Lord
Surya, the sun-god. It is situated on the seashore, 33km north of Puri
and 64km from Bhubaneswar. It was constructed of black stone in the
beginning of the 13th century, and it is considered one of the most
vivid architectural showpieces of Hindu India. Despite the fact that
the “Black Pagoda” is in ruins, the remaining porch area
and other structures of this temple complex remain a crown jewel of
Orissan artwork. Canara Bank, near the post office, changes money. There is a small Archeological Museum on the main road (daily except Friday 10 am to 5 pm) which contains sculptures found during the temple excavation. Visitors can purchase the Archaeological Survey of India’s Sun Temple-Konark here for Rs 10. It is not sold at the temple itself. Admission Rs 5. Most evenings the temple is floodlit until 9 pm. It looks inspiring at this time. Registered
guides (those wearing a badge) can show you many interesting sculptures
and sites you may miss on your own (Rs 50 per hour). Konark is a major tourist spot, and fighting away the hawkers and vendors can be tedious. These people will try to charge you double or triple the correct price for anything they sell, except the booklet about the place. There is a quiet beach about 3km south of the temple. The currents can be strong there, however, so swimming may be dangerous. Not
far from the beach is a pond where Krishna’s son Samba is said
to have been cured of leprosy. Every year during the full moon phase
in the month of Magha (Jan-Feb) there is a festival called Magha Saptami
Mela. People bathe in the pond at night and then watch the sun rise
over the sea the next morning. The story of the temple is that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, was cursed to suffer from leprosy for twelve years. Because he had been cursed by the sun-god, he built a temple dedicated to Surya. Sailors once called this temple the Black Pagoda because it was supposed to draw ships to shore and cause shipwrecks. This impressive temple resembles a huge chariot with twenty-four wheels pulled by seven horses. Great pairs of large, intricately carved wheels were sculpted on both sides of the 4m high platform upon which the temple sits. Some say the wheels represent the twenty-four hours in a day; others say they represent the 12 months. The seven horses are said to symbolize the seven days of the week. There is a dancing hall, an audience hall, and a high tower. The main entrance has two large stone lions crushing elephants. Between the entrance and the main part of the temple is an intricately carved Dancing Hall. The main tower, which has since collapsed, was 70m (220 feet) high. The Jagmohana (porch) is over 39m (125 ft) high and is filled in and fortified with rocks to keep it from collapsing. Both the tower and porch were built on a high platform. All over the base, walls, and roof are intricate carvings. Many of the carvings are erotic in nature, similar to the ones at Khajuraho. Visitors can climb down to the inner sanctum by the temple’s west side. There
are three impressive chlorite figures of Surya facing different directions
in order to catch the sun at dawn, noon, and sunset. The three statues
of Surya change their facial expressions from wakefulness in the morning
(south) to weariness toward the end of day (north). There
is also a temple containing the nine planets: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury,
Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu, located to the right of the
main entrance before you enter the complex. There is a direct A/C OTDC tourist bus leaving from the Old bus stand in Bhubaneswar at 10 am. Visitors must pay the full cost of a day tour if they wish to take this bus. There is a daily tour going to Konark from Puri and Bhubaneswar (Tues to Sat). You can take a taxi from Puri for about Rs 400 roundtrip. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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