Konark Sun Temple

History

The Konark Sun Temple, built around 1250 CE by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, was designed as a colossal stone chariot of the Sun God Surya, its twelve pairs of carved wheels pulled by seven horses. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is celebrated for its sensual sculpture and the precision of its astronomical wheels, which serve as sundials. The sea air has weathered its surviving eastern wing.