The World-famous Sun temple of Konark also known as The Black Pagoda & an UNESCO World Heritage site was built during the reign of the great king Langula Narasingha Deva of the Ganga dynasty.The majestic temple was dedicated to the Sun god. Legends say that 1300 artisans took 12 years to complete the construction of the temple.
Interestingly this is the same place where in the Dwapar Yug Lord Krishna' s Son from his Third Queen Jambanti (Daughter of the Great Jammvan- Lord Ram's Commander) had arrived for his penance on the shores of River Chandrabhaga to be cured from the curse of Leprosy inflicted upon him by his father Krishna. After 11 years of long & severe penance Sun God on a Solar Eclipse day appeared to him & freed Shamba of the curse. Krishna arrived from Dwarka to take him back on the shores of Chandrabhaga.
The Idol of The Sun God used to be suspended in Air with the help of 7 magnets which used hold it back in the Air & on top of the temple doom was a 250 kgs huge magnet which had such a strong magnetic zone that the Compass of Ships often were rendered useless & Ships moving around Chandrabhaga lost navigation.Unfortunately The Portugese when they invaded took away all these magnets & plundered the Temple of its rich technology.
With the advent of the British East India Company the temple once again came under scanner & the British forces went to extent of bringing artillery to break open the hidden vaults of this temple to secure the enormous wealth. However to everybody's dismay the doors couldn't be opened.
Legends say that during the construction of the Temple while the King was struggling to make the plinth he came accross an old lady who advised her on the means to manage this construction but in return took an oath that the day the temple is commissioned the Chief Artisan or someone from his family has to sacrifice his life. The old lady was none other than the Divine mother. And so did the Chief Artisans 12 year son dived into the Chandrabhaga river as a sacrifice. It was for this reason that the Temple being cursed & worship & daily offerings never took place.
The name Konark comes from the combination of the Sanskrit words Kona (corner or angle) and Ark (the sun), in reference to the temple which was dedicated to the Sun God, Surya. Shaped like a giant chariot, the temple is known for the exquisite stone carvings that cover the entire structure. Even today on a particular day Sunlight enters the Temple in such a magnificent way that it cuts through the Temple doom to touch the Sun God's feet.
The temple is said to symbolize the passage of time, which is assumed to be governed by the Sun God. The set of horses is meant to represent the seven days of the week, while the 12 pairs of wheels reference the 12 months of the year.
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