On the Odisha coast near Puri stands the Konark Sun Temple, one of the most astonishing monuments of India, built in the thirteenth century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. Conceived as a colossal stone chariot for Surya, the Sun-god, it rides upon twenty-four intricately carved wheels drawn by seven straining horses — the wheels serving as sundials that still mark the passing hours, the whole temple aligned so that the first rays of dawn once fell upon the deity.
Every surface is adorned with exquisite sculpture — celestial dancers, musicians, deities, and scenes of life — making Konark a supreme achievement of Kalinga art. Though its great tower has fallen with the centuries, what remains is breathtaking, and the temple is honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Konark stands as a magnificent hymn in stone to the Sun, the giver of light and life.
Konark is not shaped like a temple but like a chariot: twenty-four carved stone wheels, drawn by seven horses. Some of the wheels work as sundials.
Source: Konark Sun Temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site
