About Konark Temple wheel:
- The Konark wheel was built during the 13th century under the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I.
- The wheel with 24 spokes is also adapted into India's national flag and embodies India's ancient wisdom, advanced civilisation, and architectural excellence.
- The rotating motion of the Konark Wheel symbolises time, Kalachakra as well as progress and continuous change.
- It serves as a powerful symbol of the wheel of democracy that reflects the resilience of democratic ideals and commitment to progress in society.
Key facts about Konark Sun temple
- It is located on the eastern shores of India.
- It is the culmination of Kalingan temple architecture, with all its defining elements in complete and perfect form.
- It was built in 1250 CE by King Narasimhadeva I (r. 1238-1264 CE) of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
- The temple in its present state was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 1984.
- The word 'Konark' is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Kona(corner or angle) and arka (the sun).
- It thus implies that the main deity was the sun god, and the temple was built in an angular format.
- The temple follows the Kalinga or Orissa style of architecture, which is a subset of the Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture.
