Odisha · East
KonarkKoṇarka
Coastal town of the 13th-century Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Principal temple
- Konark Sun TempleSurya (the Sun god)
- Nearest airport
- Biju Patnaik International Airport (BBI), Bhubaneswar; Konark is ~64 km from Bhubaneswar
- Nearest railway station
- Puri railway station, ~34 km (by bus or taxi from Puri)
- Tradition
- Śākta
Overview
Konark is a town in Puri district on the Bay of Bengal coast, about 65 km from Bhubaneswar, whose name joins the Sanskrit words for 'angle' and 'the Sun'. Its 13th-century Sun Temple, dedicated to Surya and designed as a giant stone chariot, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984; it is now largely in ruins and fell into disuse, its Sun image having been taken to the Jagannath Temple at Puri in 1627. It nonetheless remains a pilgrimage site, where devotees gather each year for the Chandrabhaga Mela around February.
See sources [1–6]- Surya (the Sun god)
- Goddess Ramachandi
