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Konark Sun Temple
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How it came to be
The Sun Temple at Konark, dedicated to the sun god Surya, was built around 1250 by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, who reigned from 1238 to 1264. It stood near an older Surya temple, whose sacred image was reconsecrated in the new building.
The whole temple is shaped as Surya's colossal chariot, with 24 carved wheels about 3 m across set along the sides of the plinth. The plinth is covered with lions, musicians, dancers and couples. By 1676 European sailors were calling it the Black Pagoda.
The sanctum's tall tower collapsed in the 19th century, and why it fell is still disputed. In 1903 the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, J. A. Bourdillon, had the assembly hall sealed and filled with sand to stop it from collapsing too. The temple was inscribed in 1984, and on 8 September 2022 the Archaeological Survey of India began removing the sand.
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