Around 1806, the Council in fort William, Calcutta, sent a party to investigate when several East India Company's ships complained that the Black Pagoda, which served as a navigational guide along the shallow waters off Orissa at Konark was losing height.
But little did they realize that a mere inquiry could lead them to add a new chapter to the architectural history of India.
They stumble upon the ruins of the magnificent Sun Temple nearly buried in the sand, whose tip was being used as a navigational guide.
Subsequent research proved these were the ruins of the Sun Temple built by King Narasimhadeva of Kalinga, in the 13th century.
In 1984, the UNESCO inscribed the temple as a world heritage site due to its 'outstanding universal value.
' Only 65 km from Bhubaneswar in Orissa, the Sun Temple is not only a celebration in not only a celebration in stone but its present is as thrilling as its past.
Today, the preserved ruins lie in the middle of a beautiful ruins lie in the middle of a beautifully landscaped garden and is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.
Although shaped like a chariot, it followed the rules of classical temple architecture.
Entering from the eastern side first comes the pillared structure, called the bhoga mandap where cultural programmes used to be held.
Then comes the jagamohan, where devotees used to gather before entering the sanctum sanctorum (grabha-griha).
The main temple rose in a curvilinear tower, which enshrined the grabha-griha.
The jagamohan was fused with the main temple to give the shape of a chariot, complete with 12 giant wheels on each side and seven straining horses.
What we see today is the ruins of the bhoga mandap, a large part of the jagamohan and a tiny bit of the grabha-griha.
Later excavations revealed two more temples within the premises that date back to the 11th century - the Mayadevi Temple and the Vaishnav Temple.
Scattered within the complex are some of the broken pieces that were salvaged during successive excavations.
Of these, the Navagraha (nine planets) panel is worshipped even today; the huge free-standing statues of a war stallion and an enraged elephant also deserve special mention.
Some findings can be seen in the National Museum in New Delhi.
Nearly 1200 craftsmen worked for 12 years to construct this temple.
Three kinds of stones were used - chlorite for the door frames and some of the statues, laterite for the core of the platform and the staircase, and khondalite for the rest.
Although not much is known about the main architect of the temple, some ascribe it to one sibai santra.
But there are legends galore about the construction of the temple.
According to one legend, the pitcher of kalasha on top of the temple possessed magnetic properties, which held the temple together, but forced passing ships to go astray, and was subsequently destroyed by sailors.
While most people visit Konark as part of a day trip from Bhubaneswar of Puri (35 km away) and spend a couple of hours at the most, the architecture of the temple deserves greater attention.
The embellished walls, the ornamentation on the gigantic wheels and the mammoth free-standing statues generate a sense of awe.
The temple is not merely an example of glorious art but also preserves the science of time and details of the then contemporary lifestyle.
The seven horses represent the seven days of the week.
There were 24 wheels in all, 12 on each side, representing the paksha (24 halves) of the 12 months in a year.
Only one of the wheels has survived entirely.
The sculptures highlight mythical figures, musicians, dancers, court scenes, royal hunts, war, maritime trade, erotica etc.
The beauty of Konark beats mere description.
Frozen in time, it is an example of the great heights achieved by Indian sculptors.
At night, illuminated by electric lights, it stands like an ethereal expression on the cusp of time.
But little did they realize that a mere inquiry could lead them to add a new chapter to the architectural history of India.
They stumble upon the ruins of the magnificent Sun Temple nearly buried in the sand, whose tip was being used as a navigational guide.
Subsequent research proved these were the ruins of the Sun Temple built by King Narasimhadeva of Kalinga, in the 13th century.
In 1984, the UNESCO inscribed the temple as a world heritage site due to its 'outstanding universal value.
' Only 65 km from Bhubaneswar in Orissa, the Sun Temple is not only a celebration in not only a celebration in stone but its present is as thrilling as its past.
Today, the preserved ruins lie in the middle of a beautiful ruins lie in the middle of a beautifully landscaped garden and is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.
Although shaped like a chariot, it followed the rules of classical temple architecture.
Entering from the eastern side first comes the pillared structure, called the bhoga mandap where cultural programmes used to be held.
Then comes the jagamohan, where devotees used to gather before entering the sanctum sanctorum (grabha-griha).
The main temple rose in a curvilinear tower, which enshrined the grabha-griha.
The jagamohan was fused with the main temple to give the shape of a chariot, complete with 12 giant wheels on each side and seven straining horses.
What we see today is the ruins of the bhoga mandap, a large part of the jagamohan and a tiny bit of the grabha-griha.
Later excavations revealed two more temples within the premises that date back to the 11th century - the Mayadevi Temple and the Vaishnav Temple.
Scattered within the complex are some of the broken pieces that were salvaged during successive excavations.
Of these, the Navagraha (nine planets) panel is worshipped even today; the huge free-standing statues of a war stallion and an enraged elephant also deserve special mention.
Some findings can be seen in the National Museum in New Delhi.
Nearly 1200 craftsmen worked for 12 years to construct this temple.
Three kinds of stones were used - chlorite for the door frames and some of the statues, laterite for the core of the platform and the staircase, and khondalite for the rest.
Although not much is known about the main architect of the temple, some ascribe it to one sibai santra.
But there are legends galore about the construction of the temple.
According to one legend, the pitcher of kalasha on top of the temple possessed magnetic properties, which held the temple together, but forced passing ships to go astray, and was subsequently destroyed by sailors.
While most people visit Konark as part of a day trip from Bhubaneswar of Puri (35 km away) and spend a couple of hours at the most, the architecture of the temple deserves greater attention.
The embellished walls, the ornamentation on the gigantic wheels and the mammoth free-standing statues generate a sense of awe.
The temple is not merely an example of glorious art but also preserves the science of time and details of the then contemporary lifestyle.
The seven horses represent the seven days of the week.
There were 24 wheels in all, 12 on each side, representing the paksha (24 halves) of the 12 months in a year.
Only one of the wheels has survived entirely.
The sculptures highlight mythical figures, musicians, dancers, court scenes, royal hunts, war, maritime trade, erotica etc.
The beauty of Konark beats mere description.
Frozen in time, it is an example of the great heights achieved by Indian sculptors.
At night, illuminated by electric lights, it stands like an ethereal expression on the cusp of time.