The Konark Sun Temple, located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal is one of the few Sun temples in India. Dedicated to the Sun God, Surya, this temple is 35 kms north-east of Puri, Odisha. Renowned for the humongous 12-wheeled stone chariot, Konark temple was built by King Narasimhadeva I. He was a ruler belonging to the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
The word ‘Konark’ is a combination of the Sanskrit words ‘kona’, meaning corner or angle and ‘arka’ meaning Sun. The name indicates that the main deity was Sun.
The temple was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. However, European sailors have referred to this temple in their records as early as 1676. They called it the ‘Black Pagoda’ as it looked like a large black tower. The temple draws numerous tourists every year.
Picture Credit : Google
