The great temple of the sun god at Konarak about 66 km from Bhubaneswar in Orissa, is a brillant achievement in the artistic perfection of the 13th century. The genius of king Narasimha Deva 1 (1238-1264 A.D.) of Orissa who constructed this temple, achieved a unique synthesis of faith and architecture in this giant fantasy.

The massive chariot-shaped temple has twelve pairs of wheels symbolising the twelve months, each pair representing the dark and bright halves of the lunar period attached to the seven horses representing seven rays of the sun. The vast scheme of work is based on the realisation of the sun's vital radiating power. The carving depict various activities like the circumambulation of pilgrims, operation of hunt, the joining of the passionate mithunas in kisses, warm embraces or ultimate union. The beauty of this masterpiece of monolithic architecture has received admiration from all corners of the world. In the words of the poet Tagore,"The language of man is here defeated by the language of stone."

The konarak temple has been built on the bed of river Chandrabhaga having a thick pile of boulders and sand. However, no evidence of sinking or settlement of the building at any point have been observed. Prior to the starting