Sun Temple
- Also called:
- Surya Deula or Surya Deul
Sun Temple, temple in Konark, Odisha state, India, that is dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya. It was built of stone 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. Textual evidence indicates that Narasimha I (who reigned between 1238 and 1264) of the Eastern Ganga dynasty built the temple in 1250. This is plausible as secular events such as royal hunts and military scenes 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 amplify 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. The horses were arranged with four on one side and three on the other, so the chariot would travel in circles. 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 temples, 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 some 227 feet (69 m), no longer exists; it collapsed by the 19th century. Many statues and sculptures were removed to other temples and museums throughout 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 early 20th century to ensure that it did not also collapse. The Sun Temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and a project to remove the sand and restore the entrance hall was initiated in 2022.