The Sun temple in Konarka, popularly known as the ‘Black Pagoda,’ was the pinnacle of the Kalinga architectural style. It was 148pecimen in stone from an architectural standpoint. This colossal temple was built in the 13th century A.D. by Narasimhadeva I or Langula Narasimhadeva. According to legend, it took 1200 Odishan artists 12 years to construct this colossal structure. The Sun temple, located 35 kilometres north of Puri on the banks of the Chandrabhaga river, has attracted tourists from all over the world.
Konarka is also referred to as Arkakshetra due to its association with the worship of the Sun god. The temple was composed of three structures: the Vimana, Jagamohana, and Natamandira. The Vimana has been destroyed by falling stones from the temple’s spire. The existing Jagamohana (Mukhasala) stands on a high platform with a pyramidal roof. The 24 wheels carved on the sides of the elevated platform that houses the Deul (sanctum) and Jagamohana (porch) symbolise the 24 hours of the day. On the sides of the staircase, a group of seven spirited horses represent the seven days of the week. Together, the wheels and horses convey the impression that the temple was fashioned after a colossal Solar Chariot. The Jagamohana had three doors, each with its own set of steps. All of these doors and steps, however, have been blocked off and the interior has been filled with sands. The Vimana and Jagamohana are Pancharatha-style structures.
The Natamandira was intended to be a standalone structure in front of the main temple. It was surrounded on four sides by approachable flight of steps. It is a pillared structure with ornate carvings. Throughout the structure, dance and musical performances are depicted. These performances include Pakhoaj (leader braces and wooden blocks for producing designed intonation), Dholak (barrel-shaped double-faced longish drum), Sahanai (large pipes producing sweet music), Karatalas (large metallic cymbals with strings), Vina (strined musical instrument), and Vamsi (flute). A colossal chlorite pillar known as Arunastambha stood in front of the Jagamohana’s eastern flight. As previously stated, it was relocated from Konarka and installed in front of the Jagannath temple in Puri during the Maratha rule. The main temple, which housed the Sun god’s idol, stood 230 feet tall, making it the tallest structure in “All India.” It is, however, ruined. The temple’s compound measures 877 ft. x 540 ft. It’s truly remarkable how such massive stone slabs were carried to the top to construct this temple. Archaeologists believe that after 149pecime, the structure was lifted from the ground by sands and covered with large stones.
The Konarka Sun Temple is notable for its variety of sculptures. Among them are deities, celestial musician-nymphs, secular sculptures, erotic figures, birds, beasts, aquatic animals, mythological figures, motifs reflected in figures, decorative bodies, and so forth. Among the deities, the most remarkable are the chlorite images of Surya in the three projected southern, western, and northern niches of the Deul, which correspond to the rising, mid-day, and setting suns. By depicting the rising sun with a smiling face, the midday sun with a grave expression, and the setting sun with a faded expression, the artists perfectly matched their talent with creation.
The temple’s Navagraha sculpture is another work of architectural art. The planets have been installed in this order from left to right: Ravi (Sun), Chandra (Moon). Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Sukra (Venus), Sani (Saturn), Rahu (the ascending node), and Ketu are all associated with these planets (the descending node). The Navagraha slab is now housed in a separate temple. The sculptural remains of Konarka’s Sun temple reveal the worship of Siva (in the form of Linga), Purusottama (God Jagannath), and Mahisamardhini (Durga). Four of these sculptures have been preserved in four locations: one at Konarka’s Sun temple, one at the Konarka museum, one at the National Museum in New Delhi, and one in the Bhogamandapa of Puri’s Jagannath temple. A notable feature of the Konarka Sun Temple is the three magnificent animal figures that guarded the Jagamohana’s three starcases. Gajasimhas (lion on elephant) are located in the east, elephants are located in the north, and warhorses are located in the south. These animal figures demonstrate the Oriya sculptors’ artistic abilities.
The Sun temple in Konarka is a work of art. Numerous sculptures, such as the decorated doors, royal chambers, the procession of the king to receive the warriors, musicians playing various musical instruments, saints meditating, elephants, horses, camels, snakes, divine and semidivine figures, etc., bear ample testimony to the creative mind of the Oriya artists of that period. The depiction of a ziraffe eating grapes on the Konarka temple wall is quite interesting. It was a species of African animal. It is unknown how the Oriya artists became acquainted with this creature. Whatever the case, it was unquestionably a noteworthy feature of Konarka’s temple art.
The presence of erotic figures in the walls of Konarka’s Sun temple is a notable feature of its architecture. The obscence sculptures of Konarka, like the Khajuraho temple, depict the sensual pleasures of human life. This demonstrates unequivocally that human life is equal to that of beasts. Perhaps the purpose of this depiction was to demonstrate that a pilgrim visiting the temple should not be swayed by mundane life but should exercise control over his senses in order to triumph over it. A. K. Coomarswamy, a renowned art historian, stated about these sculptures, “Love and desire are a natural part of life.” Life is a veil that conceals or contains God. The temple’s exterior is a representation of this life, Samsara, and the carvings on it depict everything associated with Samsara and serve to perpetuate illusion, every bond and desire for beauty that binds men to the wheel of life and death.”
N. N. Bhattacharya comments on the erotic sculptures at Konarka’s Sun temple, stating that they were a reflection of the man’s dominant class’s abnormal sexual desires. However, Robert Ebersole accurately summarises its significance as follows: “Even if one disregards the intrinsically magnificent sculptural qualities of the erotic figures, there remain an enormous number of morally acceptable examples attesting to the fact that the temple of the Sun represents the pinnacle of mediaeval Hindu art and the pinnacle of temple sculpture.”
Indeed, the Sun temple at Konarka is the pinnacle of Oriya artists’ creative genius. With the completion of the Sun temple at Konarka, the Kalinga style of art reached its pinnacle of perfection. From an aesthetic standpoint of elegance, balance, and beauty, this temple is the only one in Eastern India that has been designated as one of the world’s seven wonders. Apart from these two monumental temples of national and international stature, the Ganga period saw widespread temple construction. Chodagangadeva constructed the Ramesvara and Gangesvara temples in Bhubaneswar. Chintamanisvara’s temple near Laxmisagara in Bhubaneswar was built by Lakshmi Devi, Chodagangadeva’s wife. The Anantavasudeva temple, located on the eastern bank of Vindusarovara, was another significant temple built during that era by Chandrikadevi, Anangabhimadeva III’s daughter. Another significant temple of the Ganga period was Bhubaneswar’s Meghesvara temple, which was built by Svapnesvaradeva, Rajaraja II’s brother-in-law and commander-in-chief of the Ganga army. Additionally, the Yamesvara temple, Mitresvara temple, Varunesvara temple, Bhaskaresvara temple, Chitresvara temple, and Parvati temple (all located within the complex of the Lingaraj temple) are all from this period in Bhubaneswar. Several other temples, such as the Sobhanesvara Siva temple in Niali, the Dakshaprajapati Siva temple in Banapur, the Kshirachora Gopinath temple in Remuna in the Balasore district, the Mukhalingam, Simhachalam, Narayanapuram, and Tekkali temples, were also constructed during the Gangas’ glorious days.