Many years back, when I visited the National Museum in Delhi, one of the images that I was most impressed by, was the Surya from Konark. I remember being rooted to the ground as I stood in front of the sculpture, admiring every detail, simply unable to walk away. There are various ideas of where the sculpture was placed in the temple, but wherever it was placed, there is no question that it would have drawn all eyes. I remember wondering back then, if this single sculpture was so impressive, how much more impressive the temple would have been! The first thing that struck me about the Konark temple during my first visit, was its size. I have seen huge ancient temples before – the Brihadeeshwara temple and the Kandariya Mahadev temple, to name just two. However, Konark was something else. It was awe-inspiring to even think of just how much larger the original temple would have been, with its main spire intact. So many years later, on my second visit, the size was still impressive, bu...
Many years
back, when I visited the National Museum in Delhi, one of the images that I was
most impressed by, was the Surya from Konark. I remember being rooted to the
ground as I stood in front of the sculpture, admiring every detail, simply
unable to walk away. There are various ideas of where the sculpture was placed
in the temple, but wherever it was placed, there is no question that it would
have drawn all eyes. I remember wondering back then, if this single sculpture
was so impressive, how much more impressive the temple would have been!
The first
thing that struck me about the Konark temple during my first visit, was its size.
I have seen huge ancient temples before – the Brihadeeshwara temple and the
Kandariya Mahadev temple, to name just two. However, Konark was something else.
It was awe-inspiring to even think of just how much larger the original temple
would have been, with its main spire intact. So many years later, on my second
visit, the size was still impressive, but it was more satisfying to see the absolute
sense of awe on Samhith’s face as he took in the size of the temple, and its
grandeur.
The Konark
temple awes, at both scales – the macro and the micro. While the size is
jaw-dropping, to be sure, so are the sculptures and carvings, which the entire
structure is covered with. It is impossible to see every sculpture here, and
notice every single detail. Which is why I love the site museum at Konark,
which highlights every aspect of the temple, and tells us what to see. These days,
there are two museums at Konark. The site museum is a little farther away from
the temple, and few people visit it now. This has the original sculptures found
at the site, neatly arranged and classified, so that one can understand the
architecture as well as the iconographic layout. The newer museum, located within
the new temple complex, and sometimes called the interpretation centre, has
replicas of most of the sculptures as well as models of the temple, and also
provides a basic understanding of the temple, its history and the time-line. This
museum is more visited today, simply because it is easily accessible and
visible. If you visit Konark, please do visit either or both the museums before
you visit the temple. I assure you, it is worth it. The museums provide a
better understanding of the temple than any of the guides can. The guides do
provide us with the popular narratives, but for facts, please do rely on the
museum.
My two
visits to Konark showed me two different facets of the temple. On my first
visit, the temple was covered with scaffolding, and we had to peer in between
the poles to see some of the sculptures. Focusing my camera on sculptures I wanted
to, wasn’t easy, but I was alone, had all the time in the world, and the
weather was great. I spent hours walking around, clicking photographs, and
simply immersing myself in the sculptures, trying to imagine what the temple would
have looked like, at its peak. On my second visit, most of the scaffolding was
gone, and the temple was much clearly visible than earlier. However, the
weather refused to cooperate. It poured all the time that we were there. On the
one hand, the rain-soaked stones gleamed, adding a brightness to the temple and
the sculpture, while, on the other hand, it was difficult to handle a camera
along with holding an umbrella and trying to stay dry. Besides, my health issues
ensured I had no energy to walk around the temple as many times as I had done,
earlier, especially with the rain beating down. So, I spent my second visit to
this gorgeous temple correcting the guide from assigning outrageous meanings to
some of the sculptures, and highlighting what I thought was important, to
Samhith. Once again, I realized that much as I enjoy travelling alone and exploring
ancient structures at my own pace, I also enjoy travelling with someone I can
expound to, especially on architecture and iconography!
There is
little I can add to what most of you already know about this gorgeous temple. So,
instead, let me show you the temple through my eyes, with images clicked on
both visits…
On my first visit, the guide who accompanied me told me that the lion represented Hinduism and the elephant represented Buddhism, and this sculpture represented the triumph of Hinduism over Buddhism. At the time, I did not contradict him, but I wondered how he could explain the human lying below the elephant. Besides, what would be his reaction if I told him that Sun worship had come to India from Persia?
This is one of the many tiny sculptures which cover the platform. This one probably shows the king, who is shown all over the place, but I love it for the detail.
A gorgeous Nataraja, in the typical Odisha style... I especially love how he holds the snake over his head. I also love how the weathered stone etches patterns on the sculpture, adding a sense of movement.
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| Martanda Bhairava |
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| Martanda Bhairava |
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| Placement of Martanda Bhairava sculptures on the spire of the Jagamohana |
Martanda Bhairava is one of the most interesting figures seen on the sun temple in Konark. Martanda is another name for Surya, and Bhairava is a form of Shiva, so Martanda Bhairava is a combination of Shiva and Surya. He is a protective deity, and in the Konark site museum, he is described as the patron deity of warriors, farmers and the fishermen community. He is shown with three heads, holding a variety of weapons, and though he is a form of Bhairava, he is shown with a smiling face. What I found most fascinating though, was that he is shown standing on a boat! These images of Martanda Bhairava are seen at the top levels of the spire of the Jagamohana, and the two images I have shared are from my recent visit. The blurring is an indication of the height at which these sculptures are seen, and I find it fascinating to think of the architects placing these images at this height, while boats bob in the distance on the sea that the temple looks out to. These sculptures are clearly an indication of the connection between the sea and the temple, something that isn't much discussed.
Apsaras/ Surasundaris are a common sight in all ancient temples, but the ones at Konark are especially beautiful.... I chose just these two just because they are complete, with the fine details clearly visible... the one on the left holds a mirror, and the other one has a parrot on her arm.
This is another carving I have been drawn to... a boar hunting scene, probably part of the royal series...
Erotic sculptures / Mithunas abound at Konark. I am reminded of Dr. Devangana Desai when I see them, since she was the one who drew our attention during our class at Jnanapravaha to the idea that erotic sculptures are placed at spaces where architectural elements join.... this one for example is where the Jagamohana would have joined the garbagruha.
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| Yama, riding a buffalo and carrying a noose |
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| Nritti, holding a skull, lying on a corpse |
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| Agni, riding a ram, and holding fire |
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| Varuna, on a crocodile |
The Ashta Dikpalakas, or guardians of the eight directions are another fascinating set of sculptures. They are seen in their respective directions, mostly seated on their mounts. These 4 were easily identifiable, though there were more where I wasn't sure of their identity. It would be a wonderful project to go study the dikpalas at Konark and identify those still standing in their places.
This is another unique sculpture, found only at Konark. It shows the 3 main deities of Odisha - Lingaraj, Jagannath and Mahishasuramardini - Shiva, Vishnu and Devi, together, being propitiated, probably by the king. It indicates the prevalence of the 3 prominent cults in Odisha at the time(13th century) - the Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta cults. I find it fascinating that this sculpture is seen at Konark, but there is no Surya seen here. The reference to Lingaraj and Jagannath are very clear, but I am not quite sure which goddess is depicted. Odisha is filled with temples to the goddess, all of them older than Konark. The Shakta cult is known to have been strong in ancient Kalinga, with temples to Yoginis, as well as various shrines to different forms of the Devi.
Though this sculpture is damaged, something about it is eye catching. The couple depicted could probably be patrons, maybe part of the royal family, though they are depicted like a simple couple. The presence of horses, umbrellas and soldiers below them indicates that they are more probably royal. The tree shown behind them doesn't just fill up space, it indicates fertility and abundance.
Another unique sculpture, this is the animal on the right is thought to be a giraffe, probably a gift to the king from visiting arab traders. Once again, my attention is captured by the beautiful flowering tree above.
Yalis, or mythical creatures, are a common sight in all ancient temples. They function as protectors, especially against the evil eye! This is an especially beautiful one, with the face of an elephant and body of a tiger. The ears are particularly lovely.
Nagas are also commonly seen on temple walls, and here we see a Naga couple entwined, next to an apsara.
Two more examples of the kind of detail on the walls of this temple.... The scene on top shows a set of people pulling a wheeled platform, while the bottom one shows the king with his people.
Another thing about this temple is the way stone is used.... These carvings on the doorway of the jagamohana had me simply staring and staring at the details at every level. My close up photos didn't turn out too good, so just sharing this amazing doorway in full, for you to appreciate the details.
Being a temple to the Sun god, the Navagrahas are seen everywhere, and once the full set are said to have stood above the lintel. While the best place to see the navagrahas today is the museum, this beautiful set of sculptures is placed in a small shrine near the temple, and is in active worship. This picture will give you an idea of the size, as well as the detail.
I began this post with my first impressions of the temple from a sculpture of the Sun God, now at the National Museum, Delhi. The post would be incomplete without a few more photos of Surya, as he is seen in the temple. the 3 most impressive sculptures here are 3 different forms of the sun, seen on the outer walls of the garbagruha. These 3 sculptures represent the 3 forms of the sun - the rising sun, the sun at noon, and the setting sun. Each of these are depicted with a particular iconography, and each is unique. There are no comparable sculptures of Surya, anywhere else. To see them in all their glory, you have to see them in person. The two museums do an excellent job of highlighting these sculptures, and their details, especially the new museum, which has life size replicas of each. Meanwhile, let me show you some of the details of these 3 gorgeous forms of the Sun....
The basic iconography of Surya remains constant - the horses, the two lotuses, his boots, his armour, but the subtle differences indicate their different forms. It would be fascinating to do more research on them - to see if their depiction has anything to do with the way the rays of the sun fall on them at different times of the day.... but that is for another time....
This has been an extremely difficult post to write. What, after all, do I say about a temple that everyone knows about, which has had so much written about it? Further, it was incredibly difficult to decide which photos to share and which to discard. I had hundreds of photos to choose from, and eventually, I have chosen 34, to give you an idea of the iconographic scheme of the temple....to show you what the temple is like. I have, very consciously, refrained from talking about the history, or the wheels, since those are what everyone anyway talks about. I hope I have succeeded in giving you a new glimpse of the temple, through my eyes. Do let me know what you think.
Other posts on Odisha -
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