Konark Sun Temple

April 27, 2023

A petition has been filed in the Orissa High Court challenging the minimum eligibility criteria of matriculation adopted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for issuing licences to photographers to operate inside Sun Temple at Konark.

About Konark Sun Temple:

  • Location: It is located on the coastline of Odisha in Puri district.
  • It was built by King Narasimha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in 1244.
  • It was given the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984 by UNESCO.
  • Features:
    • Also called the Surya Devalaya, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Surya.
    • It is a classic example of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture.
    • The temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot high solar chariot, with 24 wheels and pulled by six horses, all carved from stone.
    • It is oriented towards the east so that the first rays of the sunrise strike the main entrance.
    • The wheels of the temple are sundials, which can be used to calculate time accurately to a minute.
    • Around the base of the temple, there are images of animals, foliage, warriors on horses and other interesting structures.
    • On the walls and roof of the temple, beautiful sensual figures are carve
    • The temple, built from Khondalite rocks, is also known as 'BLACK PAGODA' due to its dark colour.
    • The temple remains a site of contemporary worship for Hindus, during the annual Chandrabhaga Festival, around the month of February.