କୋଣାର୍କ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ମନ୍ଦିର - Konark

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7 Wonders

Tample is wonderful

This is an excellent site with the temple being built in the 13th Century it is extraordinary to see that much of it still remains with the carvings in such details. The site is a little bit crowded... Architecture is marvelous. Very photogenic place. Light and sound show is at 7:40 pm which is very good and have around 15 language options.

Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE sun temple at Konark about 35 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha. The temple is attributed to king Narasimha deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE. Dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone. Once over 200 feet (61 m) high, much of the temple is now in ruins, in particular the large shikara tower over the sanctuary; at one time this rose much higher than the mandapa that remains. The structures and elements that have survived are famed for their intricate artwork, iconography, and themes, including erotic kama and mithuna scenes. Also called the Surya Devalaya, it is a classic illustration of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture. The cause of the destruction of the Konark temple is unclear and remains a source of controversy. Theories range from natural damage to deliberate destruction of the temple in the course of being sacked several times by Muslim armies between the 15th and 17th centuries. This temple was called the "Black Pagoda" in European sailor accounts as early as 1676 because its great tower appeared black. Similarly, the Jagannath Temple in Puri was called the "White Pagoda". Both temples served as important landmarks for sailors in the Bay of Bengal. The temple that exists today was partially restored by the conservation efforts of British India-era archaeological teams. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984, it remains a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, who gather here every year for the Chandrabhaga Mela around the month of February.

This is same as Konark Sun Temple. Creater of this place on Google would have written Konark Sun Temple which is more known place.

Now it's not look like as my childhood. All monuments are vanishing from this sacred place. New stones are adding to the Mukhasala temple by govt which is a failure because no stones can replace the exact handicrafted made by our ancestors 500 years ago

The Sun temple of Konark is situated near Chandrabhaga sea in Puri District. The temple is also known as Black Pagoda. The temple is designed as Ratha with several horse on front side. The temple is as called as 'Sunya Mandira' according to mythology. There are Chhaya Devi temple and navagrah temple also present. You have to buy a token from ticket counter to explore this Historic temple. There are many mythology about this temple which is written on stone surface. It was said that the first ray of sunlight falls on the foot of this temple which come from the sun.