"Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man."
— Rabindranath Tagore on the Konark Sun Temple
The magnificent Sun Temple is the breathtaking culmination of Orissan temple architecture. Though now in partial ruins surrounded by drifting sand, it originally stood right at the ocean's edge. European sailors once used its towering silhouette as a navigational point, referring to it as the 'Black Pagoda'.
Built by King Narasimhadeva in the 13th century, the entire temple was breathtakingly designed in the shape of a colossal chariot, carrying the Sun God, Surya, across the heavens. Its construction was so incredibly massive that it is said to have consumed 12 years of the kingdom's entire revenues.
The main tower originally soared to 227 feet, exceeding both the Lingaraja and Jagannath temples in height. Both the tower and the porch are built on high platforms, around which sit the 24 giant stone wheels of the chariot.
These exquisite wheels provide eloquent testimony to the sheer genius of Orissa's sculptural tradition. Konark is often called one of the last Indian temples in which a living architectural tradition was at work—the brightest flame of a dying lamp.
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