KONARK - THE SUN TEMPLE

ITS SPECIALITY

The very conception of the temple. resembling a chariot in motion breaks new group and awakens amazement. Verily, it is a daring departure from the beaten track. It is conceived on a colossal scale, unknown to and unheard of by people, living then, or now. To make it an exact representation of the chariot, it is fitted with twenty four gaint wheels, twelve on each side and seven massive horses in front, symbolising the twenty four fortnights of the year and the seven days of the week respectively. To impart realism, the entire stupendous structure is placed on a elevated huge plinth, and as such it resembles as imposing chariot in suspended motion, ready to take the Sun god to sky for riding across the heavens. The several tires on the pyramidal roof are adored with figures of lovely dancers etc.

The tower on completion rose to a height of 225 feet and was joined with a 100 feet high porch, whose base was beautified with several subsidiary shrines, fitted with flights of stairs, leading to the images of the Sun god, installed in well decorated niches on three sides. Exquisite craftsmanship peeps through every pore of the images studded on all sides. These superb works of art exhibit such delicacy and accuracy, possible only with tools as fine and sharp as needles. Further, the main temple with its porch and principal halls are so designed that the first rays of the Sun fall directly on the head of Mitraditya - the main image after passing through the halls. And the wheels are so fashioned and fitted to form sun-clocks, enabling to reading of time according to the position of the Sun during the day. The whole mass of this gigantic temple is surrounded by a huge enclosure, measuring 875 X 540 feet, with thick walls of varying width in between 20-25 feet. 

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