Konark Temple

'Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man'
-Rabindranath Tagore
Konark, along with Bhubaneswar and Puri, forms the Golden Triangle for the best of Orissan temple architecture. The Sun Temple of Konark marks the highest point of achievement of the ancient Kalinga order of art and architecture. Even in its present state of ruins - for it lost its soaring tower long ago-it stands in majestic dignity. The magnitude of the edifice and the stupendous size of its perfectly proportioned structure are matched by endless wealth of decoration on its body from minute patterns executed with a jeweller's precision to boldly-modelled free-standing sculptures of incredibly big size.

History
Legends say that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, was afflicted by leprosy because of a curse by his father. After a penance of 12 years, Samba was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour he built this temple.

Architecture
The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses drag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants. A flight of steps lead to the main entrance.

Every aspect of life is shown here, and the erotic imagery, depicts the sublimation of human love manifested in countless forms. Scenes from court, civic life and war are also done in detail.
The court of the temple, was decorated with large free-standing sculptures of great strength and beauty. Now protected under the World Heritage List, the temple's interior was filled - up in 1903 A.D., by the then British Lt. Governor of Bengal, to save it from deterioration.

Festivals

• The Chandrabhaga Mela in February on the beach.
• The Konark Dance Festival - In the Open air Auditorium north of the Sun Temple, in the first week of December.

Accessibility
Air: The nearest airport from Konark is Bhubaneswar (65km)

Rail: Puri(35km) and Bhubaneswar are the nearest railheads from Konark.

Road: Konark is connected by excellent all-weather roads with Puri (35-kms) and Bhubaneswar (65-kms). Regular bus services operates from Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar.