Sun Temple

Surya Deula

Sun Temple, also called Surya Deula or Surya Deul, temple in Konark, Odisha state, India, that is dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya. It was built in the 13th century.

The Sun Temple is the pinnacle of Hindu Orissan architecture and is unique in terms of its sculptural innovations and the quality of its carvings. According to textual evidence, it is believed that Narasimha I (who reigned between 1238 and 1264) of the Eastern Ganga dynasty commissioned the temple. This is plausible as secular events are also depicted on its reliefs. The Sun Temple may have been built to celebrate Narasimha’s military victory over Muslim forces in Bengal. In this way, he would have intended to legitimize his right to rule as though appointed by the gods.

The plan of the Sun Temple consists of three sections in a row: a main shrine is connected to an entrance and prayer hall; in front of this, and separate from it, is a pillared dance hall. Decorating the exterior of the joined shrine and entrance hall are 12 pairs of large wheels—together, the two buildings represent the chariot of Surya. The statues of seven galloping horses used to draw the chariot, but now only one horse remains well preserved. Between the wheels, two friezes with amorous couples, dancing girls, and nymphs separated by pilasters decorate the lower reliefs of the temple.

The temple, like many other Hindu examples, is raised off the ground on a plinth to emphasize its holiness. The roof and superstructure of the main sanctuary, which reached a height of 227 feet (69 m), no longer exists; it collapsed in the 19th century. The entrance hall retains its pyramidal roof structure, but it cannot be entered because the entire building was filled with stone and sand in the 19th century to ensure it did not also collapse.