Konark: The Wheels of the Chariot
By the 13th century few new temples were
being dedicated to Surya, one of the older Vedic gods who were relegated
to subsidiary status with the increasing prominence of Vishnu and Shiva.
It isn’t known why King Narasimhadeva built this temple to Surya,
though there is written evidence of an earlier temple to Surya on this
site.
The entire temple was envisioned as a giant chariot pulled across the
sky by seven horses, one for each day of the week. The temple is
lavishly decorated with dancers and musicians, courtly processions,
over 1700 elephants, and three large statues of Surya, but the most
impressive feature is the twelve pairs of intricately carved wheels
that decorate the plinth, one for each month of the year.
Some of the 1700 elephants can be seen at the bottom of the
photograph.
Photo taken: January 29, 2008
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