Visit
Orissa,
Calcutta and The East
To the north of Puri stands the Sun Temple at Konark, one of the finest architectural achievements in India. Constructed in the 13th century, the complex was originally on the shore but the sea is now over 2 kilometres away. Dedicated to the Sun god Surya, the temple takes the form of his chariot complete with twelve wheels, one for each month, and seven horses representing the days of the week. The whole complex is believed to have taken 16 years to construct and is an act of remarkable devotion and craftsmanship.