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'Konark' (or Konarak) (Sanskrit: ''कोनार्क'')is a small town and a notified area council in Puri District in the Indian state of Orissa. Located near the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, Konark is best known as the site of the 13th-century Konark Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Orissa. The temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god and is decorated with exquisite stone carvings. It was visited by the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya.
The main sanctum, where the main deity was placed, is in ruins.
The east-west sides of the temple captures the sunrays at sunrise, noon and sunset, is worth watching.
The environment of the Konark area is by and large unspoiled. Gentle undulating topography around the Sun Temple lends some variation to the landscape. Konark hosts an annual dance festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Orissa, ''odissi''. Konark beach is a popular tourist destination, though the waters are deceptively calm. Its main attraction lies in its views of the temple.
The stone slabs of the temple are perfectly proportioned structure is accentuated with great chiselled motifs of flowers, birds, animals, royals and deities. There are some erotic structures on the temple. It is believed that the base of the temple contains some 2000 images of elephants.
Besides Konark, there is also another sun temple in Orissa called Biranchi khetra (Biranchi Narayan Temple) in Buguda, Ganjam District, Orissa.
Sun Temple, Modhera is a sun temple in Gujarat, created by raja Bhimdev of Solanki dynasty.
Rabindranath Tagore, a poet, once famously said "Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man"
On February 16, 1980, Konark lay directly on the path of a total solar eclipse.

Contents

Demographics

Further reading

External links

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[1] Konark had a population of 15,015. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Konark has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 64%, and female literacy is 49%. In Konark, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Chief architect - Bishu Maharana

Further reading

★ G.C. Chauley, ''Sun Temple of Konark: History and Preservation'' ISBN 81-86867-73-2

External links

★ Konark in UNESCO List

★ Konark Sun Temple

★ - Photographs of Konarak and other sites in Orissa

★ Pictures of Konark Sun Temple

★ Government website for Konark

★ Read the exclusive report on world famous Konark temple

★ Read Short and useful details about Sun Temple, Konark

★ Article on Konark Sun Temple by Rangan Datta

★ Konark in the travel section of the New Indian Express

★ Blog post and slide show on the Sun Temple of Konark