The Konark Sun Temple located in Odisha, India was built in the 13th century by King Narasimha Deva I. It was constructed over 12 years using granite, soapstone, and other materials transported on barges. The temple is in the shape of a giant solar chariot with massive wheels, pillars and walls carved with intricate sculptures. It was damaged over time by natural disasters and Muslim invaders but continues to be a symbol of Odisha's architectural heritage. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for its impressive art and architecture.

1. Sun Temple
/ Black Pagoda
Konark
(1300 CE)
Sachin Kr. Tiwary
https://www.herzindagi.com/hindi/destination/konark-surya-mandir-unique-temple-in-india-article-54444

2. Introduction
• Nomenclature-
Kona (corner or angle)
and Arka (the sun),
• Location- The Konark is
village which is about 35 km
northeast of Puri and 60 km
southeast
of Bhubaneswar on the Bay
of Bengal coastline in
the Odisha

3. HISTORY
• Temple is attributed to king Narasinga Deva I (1238 to 1264 C.E) of the Eastern Ganga dynasty 1300 CE,
• Built over a 12 years and with the help of 12,000 artisans,
• Temple was an active place of worship until at least the middle of the 16th century,
• Damaged due to natural causes or intentionally damaged by Muslim invaders, mainly Kalapahad, a general of
Gour Sultanate,
• Konark Sun Temple is regarded as the third link of Odisha’s golden triangle comprising of the Jagannath Temple
in Puri and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar,
• The temple was built close to the Chandrabhaga River which used to flow within a mile of it,
• However, over the years, the river has changed course and no longer flows near the temple now but it was
close to temple proven by IIT Kanpur team,
• Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984.

4. Medium of Stone-
1. Khondolite, 2. Laterite, 3. Chlorite,
4. Green Chlorite,5.Sandstone, 6.Soapstone,
7. Serpentinite, 8. Makrana marble,
9. Granite
Chlorite from Nilagiri hills ( about 80 km) & soft sandstone from
Siddhadurga were transported by big barges to the mythical
Candrabhaga river mouth near Konark.

5. Baya Cakada Leaf
Manuscript
• During the 1960s, after extensive research, a palm leaf manuscript called ‘Baya Cakada’
written in Karani script in Old Oriya was collated in full set of 73 leaves.
• This is a detailed chronicle of building operations and books of accounts written during the
12 years of construction (1246-1258 CE).
• Later a detailed book New Light on Sun Temple of Konarka was published in 1972 by Alice
Boner, S R Sarma and R P Das.
• This is one of the first in Indian history, where the entire temple building was documented
in great detail.
https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/the-many-mysteries-of-the-konark-sun-temple

6. The palm leaf manuscripts
address a lot of mysteries
and myths of earlier period,
with the help of details,
drawings and facts.
https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/the-many-mysteries-of-the-konark-sun-temple
Baya Cakada Leaf
Manuscript

7. Archives
• Deula was in worship was in 1580 by Abul Fazal in Ain-i-Akbari.
• After around 200 years, an expedition by Baba Brahmacari found the
temple among mounds of sand and creepers (Matala Panji – Nathi 34
(AD 1737-1793). Seeing heavy damage to the northern and eastern sides
of the vimana, he decided to salvage them, and brought in the
Aruna stambha (pillar) now at Puri Simahadwara, image of Raja
Narasimha Deva I now at Mukhasala of Lakshmi Temple and Navagraha
stone from southern portal (now in Gundica Temple).
• The next expedition by 1795 failed after three months of excavation.
• During early 1900s the sand and stones were cleared around the tower
and the platform, chariot wheels and the horses were found along with
the sculptures on walls.
• In 1901, it took three years to fill the jagmohana with sand after sealing
the four entrance gates, to avoid collapse.
• The excavations continued till 1939, where other temples and structures
were found.
Broken stone panel from Konark ruins depicting Narasingha Deva I bowing to his teacher with
the Hindu deities Jagannath, Shiva and goddess Durga in the background. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narasingha_Deva_I

8. Foreign Account /British Period- Kunnaruc
1. Mackenzie (1815, Book 14 & 15 of Col.
Mackenzie’s collection at India Office
Library, London) – Odisha came under the
British administration in 1803. Col. Mackenzie
sent his draftsmen to prepare drawings of the
temples at Bhubaneswar, Puri, Jajpur and
Konark. Book 14 of his collection has 37
drawings and Book 15 has 78 drawings.
2. Kittoe, Markham (1838, The Journal of the Asiatic
Society of Bengal vol VII Part I & II)- At Konark,
Kittoe showed his sadness and anger on the
vandalism in the hands of the natives as well as
European antiquarians. He mentions that Khurda
king had demolished all three entrances and moved
the stone to Puri.
In the process, his masons pick out the figures
and throw these down to take their change of being
broken to pieces.
They leave the once which are broken at spot

9. 1. Fergusson, James
(1848, Picturesque
Illustrations of Ancient
Architecture in Hindostan)
(1876 – History of Indian and
Eastern Architecture)
2. Beglar, J D (1876, Report of
Tours in the South-Eastern
Provinces in 1874-75 and
1875-76, vol XII)
3. Rajendralala Mitra (1875 &
1880 – The Antiquities of
Orissa in two vols)
4. Chakravarti, M M
(1908, Certain Unpublished
Drawings of Antiquities in
Orissa and Northern Circars,
published in JASB New Series
IV 1908)
5. Banerji, R D (1931 – History of
Orissa)
6. Brown, Percy (1942, Indian
Architecture : Buddhist and
Hindu Periods)
7. D R (1982, Temples of Orissa)

10. 12 December 1809
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1200_1299/konarak/konarak.html

11. William George Stephen 1812

12. MacKenzie Collection
13 September 1820
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019wdz000000749u00000000.html

13. James Fergusson, 1847

14. A wood engraving
by
E. Therond
1869
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1200_1299/konarak/therond1.jpg

15. 1890

16. http://www.thekonark.in/konarkphotogallery.html
1890
“To preserve this superb specimen of old
Indian architecture, the interior has been
filled in [with sand] by order of the
Hon’ble J.A. Bourdillon C.S. Lieutenant
Governor Bengal, A.D. 1903.”

17. Brown,Percy(1942,IndianArchitecture:BuddhistandHinduPeriods)

18. Debala Mitra, in her
book Konark, first published by
the ASI in 2003, said:
“….Among all of Odisha’s
hundreds of temples, the one
that stands unparalleled in
terms of both architectural
conception and sculptural
brilliance is the great Sun
Temple of Konark.”
She calls the temple
“a monument of epic
imagination”, which “is the
realisation of the creative
upsurge that fired the
architects of Odisha for over
500 years, beginning in the
seventh century A.D.”.

19. Kalinga Temple Styles
Sun Temple, Konark

20. Konark

21. Scenes
A pandit teaching pupils,
Depiction of a couple
standing under a tree
and the pallu of the
woman’s sari is draped
over her head.

22. NayikaPlayingwithMonkeys
NagaKanyas-NagaPurush

23. Scene of African Zirraffe
• Aa sculptural panel that shows a king, armed
with a bow and riding on an elephant.
• A mahout is also seated on the elephant.
• In front of the elephant are three foreigners,
dressed in long-flowing tunics.
• They have brought a giraffe, and it is obvious
that they are gifting the giraffe to the king.
• The episode takes place under a tree with
birds seated on it.
• There is another panel that shows a giraffe.
• The panels obviously indicate the trade that
Odisha had with Africa.

24. Scene of Domestic
and
An Elephants

25. • Shaalbhanjika, Alasyakanya, Musician women without cloth on
upper part of the body,
Salient Features

26. Wheel

27. Scene of Various
Mode

28. Erotic Art

29. Free Standing SculpturesFree Standing Sculptures-Konark

30. FreeStandingSculptures-Konark

31. Gajasimha
A lion on an elephant and a human
being, crushed by their combined
weight.
Lion is a symbol of pride and power.
Elephant is symbol of both wealth and pride.
With pride/desire of wealth and power in his mind, a human cannot walk towards
God.
He cannot make his way towards his spiritual enhancement. Because his condition
becomes like the human shown in the sculpture.

32. Free Standing Sculptures-Konark

33. Free Standing SculpturesFree Standing Sculptures-Konark

34. FreeStandingSculptures-Konark

35. • The new ten rupee note issued by RBI in 2018
features the Sun Temple on its rear side.

36. Source
https://frontline.thehindu.com
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