Konark
| Konark | |||
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 India
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| State : | Odisha | ||
| District : | Puri | ||
| Location : | 19 ° 54 ′ N , 86 ° 7 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 11 m | ||
| Residents : | 16,779 (2011) | ||
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Konark (also Konarak ) is a small town on the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Odisha , about 35 km away from Puri . It has the status of a Notified Area Council .
Every year in December, Konark hosts a festival of Indian classical dance . There are performances of traditional Odissi - dance.
Sun temple
Konark is known for the temple of the sun there , a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
The temple complex was built in the middle of the 13th century under King Narasimha Deva (1238–1264) and was abandoned a short time later or even during the construction. The original temple tower has not been preserved. It is uncertain whether it was ever completed. The part that is still well preserved today is the high base zone of the main temple and vestibule. The building was built as a symbolic team ( ratha ) of the sun god Surya with seven horses. Sculptures made of green chlorite have been preserved by Surya.
On the high base of the temple there are 24 large wagon wheels carved out of the stone, remains of the draft horses and an enormous number of detailed smaller representations. Many of them depict people engaged in sexual acts. Several frontal music-making figures hold simple stick zithers ( vina ) of the type of tuila that is played in the region today .
Repairs are and have been carried out on the building to maintain its substance and stability. The new parts are made of the same stone as the original structure, but without restoring the original figurative representations. For safety reasons, not all parts of the building are accessible to the public, but the large number of lush relief decorations and figures that have survived can be seen very clearly.
A collection of excavated sculptures from the temple is exhibited in the museum ( Sun Temple Museum ) next to the temple complex.
Web links
- Sun temple of Konark (English)
- Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).