India is full of many mysteries. The beauty of this place can attract people and there are many places whose mysteries can surprise people. Today we are going to tell you about a temple which is a mysterious temple in itself. This is a 772 year old temple and has a different significance. So let’s know the specialty of this temple and some mysteries related to it.
We are talking about the famous ‘Konark Sun Temple’ located in Odisha which is 772 years old. Made of sandstone and granite, this temple is full of mystery in itself, which millions of tourists from all over the world come to see every year. The most special thing about this temple is that it has been built in such a way that the first ray of the sun falls on the entrance of the temple.
This temple was built in 1250. Located in Puri, Odisha, this temple is dedicated to Lord Surya. The temple was built in 1250 AD by Ganga dynasty king Narasimha Dev I, which is still discussed today. It is said that after the victory over Muslim invaders, King Narasimha Dev built this temple in Konark. But meanwhile, in the 15th century, the invaders looted this temple.
During this time, to save the idol, the priests took it to Puri and kept it there. At this time the entire temple was damaged and gradually the entire temple was covered with sand. After this, the restoration work started in the 20th century under the British rule and during that time the Sun Temple was discovered. It is said that it took more than 12 years to build this temple. Yes… by working day and night, the workers built it as a wonderful temple in 12 years.
This temple has been built keeping the east direction in mind. This is the reason that the first ray of the sun falls on the entrance of the temple. Its most special feature is that it is built in Kalinga style and its structure is in the shape of a chariot. You can see 12 pairs of wheels in this chariot. The diameter of one wheel is about 3 meters. These wheels are also called ‘sun clock’ because these are special wheels in themselves which also work to tell the time.
Apart from this, there are 7 horses in the chariot which are considered to be the symbol of seven days of the week. The 12 pairs of wheels represent the 24 hours of a day. It is also believed that the 12 wheels represent the 12 months of the year. This chariot shaped temple also has 8 palm trees which represent the 8 prahars of the day. The speciality of the temple does not end here. There are two such statues at the entrance of the temple in which there is an elephant below the lion and a human body below the elephant. It is believed that the Chandrabhaga river used to flow about 2 kilometers north of the temple which has now become extinct.
If we talk about the construction of the temple, about 1200 skilled craftsmen worked for 12 years, but when the construction of the temple could not be completed, Dharmapada, son of the chief craftsman Disumuharana, committed suicide by jumping into the Chandrabhaga river.
This temple has been constructed with great details. Konark is made up of two words which are ‘Kon’ and ‘Ark’. Ark means Sun God. Friends, this temple is located at a distance of about 35 kilometers from Jagannath Puri, which has also been included in the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1984.
It also has its own mythological belief. It is said that due to a curse, Samba, the son of Shri Krishna, had contracted leprosy, to get rid of which, Samba did penance for 12 years in Konark at the confluence of Chandrabhanga river in Mitra forest. After this, the Sun God freed him from this disease. It is said that after this, the Sun God temple was established at this place. While bathing in the Chandrabhaga river, he found the idol of the Sun God which was prepared by Vishwakarma and this idol was installed in the Konark temple. Konark Sun Temple | Konark Surya Mandir
