King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, who reigned from 1238 to 1264, built the Konark Sun Temple around 1250. It is dedicated to the sun god Surya and designed as a stone chariot with 12 pairs of wheels, each about 12 feet (3.7 m) across, pulled by seven horses. The article describes the style as Kalinga architecture, the high point of Odisha's Nagara tradition.
Most of the temple is khondalite. Laterite forms the platform core and foundation stairs, and chlorite was used for door lintels, frames and some sculptures. The sanctum tower is estimated to have been about 230 feet (70 m) tall, but it is gone. The main surviving structure is the jagamohana, or assembly hall, about 128 feet (39 m) high.
European sailors called it the Black Pagoda as early as 1676. UNESCO listed the temple in 1984, and the Archaeological Survey of India maintains it.
Comments