Konark Sun Temple (Odisha)all Information

Located in Konark (36 km away from Puri), Odisha, Konark Sun Temple is a temple dedicated to Hindu Sun God named Surya. It is listed in UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple’s name is made of two words, ‘Kona’ means an angle and ‘Arka’ means the sun. God Surya is represented as travelling across the sky in the chariot with seven connected horses. The seven horses are meters of Sanskrit prosody- Brihati, Gayatri, Ushnih, Jagati, Trishtubha, Pankti, and Anushtuba. The temple is an important site for devotees but more for tourist because of its great architecture.

Key Points about the Temple

Location : Konark, Odisha-752111
Deity : Hindu God Surya
Timings : 06:00 am to 08:00 pm
Opened : 1250
Entry Fee : Indians- Rs.30/-; Foreigners- Re.500/-
Architectural Style : Kalinga Archictecture
Photography : Allowed

History of the Temple

The temple is dedicated to Hindu God Surya and is credited to Narsimhadeva (a ruler of Eastern Ganga Dynasty) in 1250 CE. The wheels that carry the chariot actually depict sundial that tells the time accurately and is known as ‘Black Pagoda’ due to its color.

Architecture of the Temple

The temple is build from three types of stones- Chlorite (used for doors, sculptures and frames), Laterite (used for platform and staircase), and Khondalite (used for other parts of the temple). Build in the form of a chariot depicting that this chariot is being driven by seven horses, four on left side and three on right side. There are twelve pairs of wheels shown in the chariot. The temple is slanted to east so that the first rays of the sunrise forays the main entrance. The entrance has two lions on both the sides crushing a man and an elephant. The temple has many carvings depicting monsters, beasts, warriors, animals etc. around the temple.

Visiting Hours

The temple is open on all days of the week.
The entry fee for the devotees is :- Indians- Rs.30/-; Foreigners- Rs.500/-
The timing of the temple is from 06:00 am to 08:00 am.
Though the temple is open on all seasons but September to March is considered as the idol months to visit the temple due to pleasant atmosphere during this time. Also, one can visit is February as in this month, the Dance Festival is organized.