INDIA-a country of unending architectural marvels that continue to baffle us.

Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha State, India. 

Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha State, India.

Yet another architectural marvel of Bharat - a country of unending architectural marvels that continue to baffle us.

The Sun temple at Konark is to be seen to be believed. Incredible in magnitude and incredible in the intricacies of the design in stone and the fine architecture. While there are many stories of the origin of the temple one of the most spoken about runs as follows:

It is said that King Narasimhadeva 1 (1236 - 1264 AD) of the Ganga dynasty ordered the construction of this temple as a symbol of his supremacy. More than 1200 artisans were commissioned into the project and worked for over 12 years. However, due to one reason or the other the completions of the temple was getting delayed. A furious Narasimhadeva issued an ultimatum to complete the temple within a stipulated date or else face execution.

It was Dharmapada - a young son of the Chief Architect Bisu Maharana who saved the situation. He used to come to the site with his father and observe what was going on. He had a keen mind and a sharp intellect. He studied the problems and gave solutions as to how the temple construction could be accelerated to meet the deadline set by the King. The last stone was installed on top of the temple well before the expiry of the deadline. However, the next day he - the boy was found dead having jumped into the river. He laid down his life to save his community.

The temple is built in the form of a chariot with wheels to depict the Sun God who moves in His chariot. This 13th century temple was conceived as a gigantic solar chariot dragged by 7 horses and 12 pairs of ornamental wheels. The temple symbolises the passage of time. The 7 horses which pull the chariot eastwards towards dawn represent the 7 days of the week. The 12 wheels represent the 12 months of the year and the 8 spokes on each wheel represent the 8 ideal stages of a women's day.