Konark Tourism
Konark - A World Heritage Site
State : Orrisa
Situated at : 65 km from Bhubaneswar
Major Attractions : The Sun Temple, Konark Dance Festival
Languages spoken : Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English
Best Time to Visit : November to April
¤ Listen to the Stone
Soliloquy
Konark, also known as Arka-Tirtha, is situated at 34 km north of
Puri, on the smooth East Coast Road named Marine Drive. Konark, which
derives its name from Konarka (presiding deity of the Sun temple), is
actually an amalgamation of Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), meaning sun
around the corner. The magnificent Sun Temple here is without doubt
the paragon of Oriyan architecture. Although the Black Pagoda is
partly in ruins, its colossal size and intricate stone artwork,
executed with masterly touch and depicting a huge diversity of themes,
simply takes one's breath away.
¤ Tourist Attractions
Black Pagoda (The Sun Temple)
Visualized on the image of the Sun God coursing through heaven on his
seven-horse-drawn chariot, the temple was built by Orissan king Raja
Narasimhadeva, a Ganga dynasty ruler in the 13th century to celebrate
a military victory. Legend recites that it took 1,200 masons and 12
years to complete the architectural epitome. This impressive shrine
resembles a hefty chariot with 24 giant wheels being pulled by 7
horses imitating the seven days of a week. Great pairs of large
exquisitely carved wheels are engraved on both sides of the 4 m high
platform on which the temple rests. The temple was once known as the
Black Pagoda, by sailors, in contrast to the white-washed temples of
Puri and was said to contain a great mass of iron which would draw
unwary ships in to the shore. The serene atmosphere of Konark coupled
with a quiet but majestic sea-shore is today regarded as an ideal
place for holidaying by domestic as well as foreign tourists.
Konark Dance Festival
Situated on the shores of the river Chandrabhaga, Konark gears up in
the winter to rejoice the Konark Dance Festival. Set on the backdrop
of crimson-red sky and brilliantly lit "Black Pagoda", the
broadway perks up to salute the beauty and harmony of the connoisseurs
of classical Indian music for 5 days during the first week of
December. The classical extravaganza invites aficionados from all over
the country and includes dance presentations such as Bharatnatyam,
Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Chau and revitalization of ancient dance
forms like " Abhinaya Chandrika"- an opulent jubilee that
will surely leave you bedazzled.
Sun, Sand and Sea
A pristine beach is located at about 3 km from the temple. Coalesce
with the golden sand and enjoy the beautiful blue dome with exquisite
colour crossword over your head at dusk and dawn. The currents can be
strong here, so swimming can be dangerous. Every year during the full
moon phase in the month of Magha (Jan/Feb), there is a festival called
Magha Saptami Mela when devotees from all over the state gather to
take a holy bath in the pond and then shuffle off to the beach where,
in accordance with an age-old custom mentioned in the Puranas, they
watch the sun rise over the sea. The event is followed by the puja of
the Navagrahas (Nine Planets).
Museum of Archaeological Survey of India
The museum situated right outside the temple, displays some exquisite
samples of Oriyan architecture. A medieval stone block, called as the
Navagraha slab, originally placed over the front door of the temple,
is now preserved inside this museum. The slab bearing images of nine
planets, richly ornamented, portrays Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon),
Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Vrihaspati (Jupiter), Sukra (Venus),
Shani (Saturn), Rahu (Ascending node) and Ketu (Descending node).
¤ Nearby Excursions
At 8 km from Konark is Kuruma, a small village famous for its
Buddhist architectural heritage. Recent excavations revealed a lot
about ancient Buddhist establishments including an image of Buddha
seated in the famous Bhumisparsa Mudra. About 14 km from Kakatpur, on
the way to Konark, you can visit the shrines of Amareswar,
Laxminarayan, and Barahi at Chaurasi. The deity of Barahi, the mother
Goddess with the face of a boar, dates back to 9th century AD. The
potbellied image, holding a fish in one hand and a cup in another, is
worshipped according to Tantrik practices.
A center for salt-production and fishing, Ashtranga, is located at 91
km from Puri and 10 km from Kakatpur. Ashtranga offers a splendid
canvas for the divine artist to portray magnificent array of colours
to play with.
¤ Shopping Delight
A leisure walk through the markets of a city is the best way to known
more about the people and their life styles, their customs and
traditions, their eating habits and much more. While shopping in
Konark, look out for sculptures, models and decorative pieces of art
made of stone, horn and woodcarvings. You can also check out the Patta
paintings and the appliqué work of Pipli, exquisitely carved
images of Hindu Gods, brilliantly embroidered umbrellas and fabrics
and several other handicraft items from different pockets of the
state.
¤ How to Reach
Konark is situated at 65 km from Bhubaneswar, on Marine Drive, right
next to ocean. There are regular buses to and from Puri, that take
about an hour. From Bhubaneswar, with a change of bus at Pipli, it
takes around two to four hours to reach Konark. You can also hire
coaches and taxis from Puri to get to Konark. Moreover, regular bus
services including conducted sigthtseeing tours are available for
Konark from Bhubaneswar and Puri.
Major Circuits
Major Tour Packages To Puri
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