Road trip to Konark Sun Temple from Bhubaneswar

Konark Sun Temple is one of the most iconic UNESCO heritage sites in the country and to witness it in its ruins was heart-breaking and blood-boiling at the same time. Despite the little and questionable measures taken by the the Orissa state government to protect and maintain this monument, the state of the sculptures still look pathetic.

The main temple tower is completely supported by rods to keep the structure in place and intact. No one knows the exact cause of the damage to the monument, which seemed to have happened over the years. But allegations have it that cyclones, tsunamis and the Mughal invasions have played major roles in the damage to this beautiful temple.

Majestic lion at the entrance

Main tower supported by rods

Broken sculpture

What looks like a broken Mandapam, not sure what happened here..

The temple itself was built to be a chariot with 24 wheels on the sides of it. Each wheel has 8 spokes. It is believed that the astronomers in olden days used the position of sun rays on the wheels to predict the position of the planets. The same technique was also used to tell time, and some people still know the technique to tell time from looking at just the wheel and the sun rays falling on it.

The money shot; the famous wheel that marks sculpture's craftmanship

The Sun God in the temple had been so damaged that it is now placed in a museum to be protected. The pedestal where the idol was placed is empty now. The intricate designs on the sides of the door makes us forget for a moment that the idol is not present there.

Shrine where Sun God used to reside

Side walls of the pedestal

The sculptures on the sides of the chariot are carved with so much details and intricacy, I felt like just staring at it the whole day. They are mostly erotic sculptures with some common day-to-day activities carved along side of these. Animals, women playing musical instruments, couple romancing are just a few of these marvelous sculpts that look so real to the eyes of an artistic viewer. For the photographer in me, there isn't enough space in the world to showcase this beauty in one blog.

After seeing the way the site is maintained and the Odisha tourists' behaviour in this UNESCO world Heritage site, my heart melted for the architect who must have given everything to make this a wonderful gift to the world. I wish I had used a guide there to tell me more about the place, may be next time for sure.

Konark temple is also a place of worship for a group of Odisha people

Way to go: I was picked up from Bhubaneswar airport by my cousin and we headed straight to Konark. The weather was pleasant for a nice long road trip with my cousin and his family. It took about a couple of hours to reach the place. I believe there are a lot of government as well as tourist buses that take tourists from Bhubaneshwar to Konark.

Little things: Visit the beach that borders that Konark Sun temple. Souvenir from Pipili village is the best thing you can have in your possession. Click here to read all about it.

Miniature of the wheel

Souvenir shops in front of Konark temple

Tip from the trip: Orissa is a very humid state since it outlooks Bay of Bengal. It rains in July there which cools the place a bit but it is still very sultry. It rained just in time when we finished our tour of the temple but till then it felt like I was inside an oven and this is coming from a person who comes from Chennai! Wear summer dress and always pack an umbrella.

Rain and Sun God at Konark temple

Photo Credits: Me

Visit: 13.07.2018