The
temple city of Konark is situated in the eastern state of Orissa at a distance of around 65 km from Bhubaneswar and 35 km
from Puri. The city extends between longitude 86.08°E and latitude 19.53°N. The
temple was built by Raja Narasimhadeva to mark a military victory. Since the
rulers used to worship the Sun, the temple was conceived as a chariot for
Surya, the Sun God. The whole structure is in the form of a giant horse drawn
chariot of the Sun. Together, the 24 wheels of the Chariot and the 7 horses drawing
it symbolize the passage of time. The front of the main entrance has two giant
stone lions crushing elephants. As you climb up the stairs, you'll see statues
of horses on both side. All over the walls of this huge temple are beautiful
carvings, sculptures and bas-reliefs (figures projecting from a plain
background). Among them are thousands of images of gods, goddesses, men and
women and scenes from life in the 13th century.
HISTORY
Konark
derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. Konarka
is actually a combination of two words, Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which,
when combined, means the sun of the corner. Konark was one of the earliest
centres of Sun worshipping in India. The place finds mention in the Puranas as
Mundira or Mundirasvamin, a name that was subsequently replaced by Konaditya or
Konarka. Apart from the Puranas, other religious texts also point towards the
existence of a sun temple at Konark long before the present temple. Konark was
once a bustling port of Kalinga and had good maritime trade relations with
Southeast Asian countries. The present Sun Temple was probably built King
Narashimhadev I (AD 1238-64) of the Ganga dynasty to celebrate his victory over
the Muslims. The temple fell into disuse in the early 17th century after it was
desecrated by an envoy of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. However, legend has it
that the temple was constructed by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. It is said
that Samba was afflicted by leprosy, brought about by his father's curse on
him. After 12 years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose
honour he built this temple.
ARCHITECTURE
The
massive structure of the temple, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendor
surrounded by the drifting sands. The entire temple has been designed in the
shape of a chariot carrying the Sun God across the heavens. The huge intricate
wheels of the chariot, which are carved around the base of the temple, are the
major attractions of the temple. The spokes of these wheelsserve as sundials,
and the shadows formed by these can give the precise time of the day. The
pyramidal roof of the temple, made of sandstone, soars over 30 m in height.
Like the temples at Khajuraho, the Sun Temple at Konark is also covered with
erotic sculptures.
THE LEGENDS
No one really knows why a temple was erected here, but there are many legends to account for its appearance. The most popular concerns 'Samba', the son of Lord Krishna. Samba was inordinately proud of his beauty. So proud that he once made the mistake of ridiculing a celebrated sage, 'Narada', who was not renowned for his looks. Narada was not amused. Always mischievous, he decided to have his revenge on the arrogant boy. He managed to lure the unsuspecting Samba to the pool where his stepmothers, the luscious consorts of Krishna, were bathing in joyful abandon. When Krishna heard that his son had become a peeping tom, he was furious and cursed him with leprosy. Realizing later that the innocent boy had been tricked by Narada's cunning, Krishna was mortified. But he could not revoke his course; all he could do was advise his son to worship the sun god 'Surya', healer of all diseases, and hope for a cure. After twelve years of penance and worship, Samba was at last instructed by Surya to go and bathe in the sea at Konark. He did so and was cured of his awful affliction. Samba was so delighted that he decided there and then to erect a Surya temple on these spot. It was called "Konark", "Place of the Sun," from which the modern name comes.
No comments:
Post a Comment