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Tourism
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Konark
An Epic in Stonehubaneswar, Puri and Konark constitute the Golden Triangle of tourism. The holy city of Puri, with its Jagannath Temple, beautiful beaches and salubrious air, is every tourist's dream. The temple city of Bhubaneswar is a blending of modernity and history. Planned to be a centre of computer software and advanced scientific research, it offers splendid architecture and sculpture, caves and carvings. The third point in the triangle is of course Konark. It has the grandest thing to offer - the world famous Sun Temple. It lies in ruins in the midst of a vast stretch of sand inspiring awe and admiration. It is indeed an epic in stone, breath-taking in its sheer scale and dimension. Today, this wonderful gem is preserved as a monument of World Heritage. Konark would have been one of the Seven Wonders of the World had it not lain in obscurity until 1902.
Konark (lat. 19.53'N; long. 86.06'E) is a small town in Puri distrit. The Bay of Bengal is barely 4 kilometer away. It is 70 km from Bhubaneswar. The name Konark is a variant of Konark which means the Arka (Sun) of Kona (corner), the corner being that of Trikona on the bank of the Kushabhadra. The European sailor called it the Black Pagoda because of the black tint it had acquired over years of exposure. They distinguished it from the White Pagoda which was how they described the white-washed temple of Sri Jagannath, also on the coast close at hand.
Konark can be easily reached by road from either Bhubaneswar or Puri which are important stations on the South Eastern Railway. One can go from either place by car or bus. The Orissa Tourism Development Corporation runs luxury coaches to Puri and Konark on a one-day conducted tour. The place is accessible all the year round. October-March is the ideal time to visit Konark
The Sun Temple
The Sun Temple of Konark marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting the grace , the joy and the rhythm of life all it's wondrous variety. There is an endless wealth of decoration from minute
patterns in bas-relief done with a jeweller's precision to boldly modeled
free standing sculptures of exceptionally large size. Under the crackling wheels of past events , the Sun Temple has lost its main sanctuary but the remaining structure and the ruins
around testify till today the boundless creative energy of Orissan artistes and their
impressive contribution to the treasury of Indian Art and building technique. Standing majestically on the sandy coast of the Bay of Bengal, the porch, in its solitary grandeur is an eloquent testimony of a gracious and mysterious past. Dedicated to Sun God, this temple was constructed by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty was dazzling supreme in the political firmament of India
Architectural glory of the Sun Temple
The Sun Temple built in the thirteenth century was conceived as a gigantic chariot of Sun God, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses. Majestic in conception, this Temple is indeed one of the most sublime monuments of India, famous as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of of architectural grandeur with plastic allegiance. It is admittedly the best in Orissa. Its fine traceries and scroll work , the beautiful and natural cut of animal and human figures, all give it a superiority over other temples. The chief quality is its design and architectural details. The Sun temple belongs to the Kalinga School of Indian Temples with characteristic curvilinear towers mounted by Cupolas. In shape, the Temple did not make any major departure from other sikhara temples of Orissa. The main sanctum which (229 ft. high) was constructed
along with the audience hall (128 ft. high) having elaborate external projections. The main sanctum which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off. The Audience Hall survives in its entirely but of the other two viz. the Dancing
Hall (nata Mandir) and the Dining Hall (Bhoga-Mandap), only small portions have survived the vagaries of time. The Temple compound measures 857 ft. by 540 ft.
The alignment of the Sun Temple is on the east-west direction. The Temple is located in natural surroundings, abounding with
casuarinas plantations and other types of trees, which grow on sandy soil. The environment is by and large unspoiled. Gentle undulating topography around the Sun Temple lends some variation to the landscape
References:
http://orissa.gov.in
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