Sun Temple, Konark

The Black Pagoda .... Jewel of the East !!

I was in Middle School and it was summer break .... Mom said that Ushman uncle would be visiting us sometime soon from Bilaspur - a small town in Madhya Pradesh. She started planning the itinerary for his trip. I had heard her discussing about several places but the one place which I was excited about was the Sun Temple in Konark.Aai had narrated several stories about the temple and I had read a little about it in my history lessons.

I eagerly waited for the day when he would arrive. No sooner than I had thought we were on our way to Konark,a small beach town on the Bay of Bengal. We travelled through lush green villages and small towns. That was my first visit to this place. I was awed at the very first sight of it and my jaws dropped.

Baba explained us the history of this huge piece of art and the stories associated with it. I saw people gazing at the fine carvings on red sandstone ..... each carving telling a story of its own. The most distinct carvings were giant wheels. I climbed onto one of them and posed for a picture with my family. As we toured around this impressive structure, I counted the wheels on it. There were 12 pairs. There were several carvings of horses and elephants too.

I played with my little sister on the lush green lawns around the temple. After spending the afternoon in the temple premises, we were off to the beautiful beach of Chandrabhaga which was minutes away.Being on the east coast this beautiful beach is known for its beautiful Sun rise. I got into my favorite act of building sand castes and collecting shells and conchs.

The Sunset at the beach was spectacular..... the day got over sooner than I had wished. It was time to get back home. Mom stopped at Pipli a small town famous for handicrafts and applique work on our way back to Bhubaneswar. She bought an colorful wall hanging as a souvenir for Uncle Ushman.

Aai had prepared pan cakes for all of us. I hogged on it and described her how wonderful our trip was.

Tourist Information

How to reach

Easily accessible from Bhubaneswar by road. Takes about 2 hours to reach there.

September - February is the best time of the year to visit this place.

Where to Stay

Can choose from luxury to budget hotels on the marine drive to Puri. These hotels are on the beach and offer a spectacular view of the Bay of Bengal.

You may return to Bhubaneswar the same day if you wish so.

Other Events at Konark

You may plan your trip around the Konark Dance Festival which happens every year in the month of February.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark