Konark Sun Temple

WHY IN NEWS?

A plan to restore and preserve the nearly 800-year-old Konark Sun temple in Odisha would be drawn up soon, after a two-day conference of experts at the end of the month.

ABOUT SUN TEMPLE

• Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE Sun temple at Konark about 36 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India.
• The temple is attributed to king Narasinga Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.
• Dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone.
• Also called the Surya Devalaya, it is a classic illustration of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture.
• This temple was called the "Black Pagoda" in European sailor accounts as early as 1676 because its great tower appeared black.
• Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984, it remains a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, who gather here every year for the Chandrabhaga Mela around the month of February.
• Architecture
  • The Konark temple consists of a Vimana (main temple) intended for housing the deity, Jagamohana (hall in front of vimana) from where the worshippers could have a glimpse of the deity and a Nirtya-mandapa (dancing hall), but a separate Bhoga-mandapa (offering hall) was not built at this place.
  • Dancing and offering both were probably done in the same building.
  • Since the Konark temple is broken by five projections, it is called pancha-ratha.
  • The Jagamohana (gathering hall) stands on the same plinth as the vimana (main temple).
  • The Nirtya mandapa (dancing hall) is a big pillared hall built on a very high plinth, in front of the Jagamohana (gathering hall) which was intended for offering arati-nrityas (dances) by the devadashis (dancing girls) during the worship.

Prelims Question

Q. Which of the following monuments is referred to as the ‘Black Pagoda’?
a. Jagannath Temple, Puri
b. Sun Temple, Konark
c. Kandariya Mahadev Temple
d. Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram

Answer to the Prelims Question