Sharda Peeth - A temple dedicated to the goddess Sarasvati (Sharda) in Azad Kashmir

The temple dedicated to the goddess Sarasvati (Sharda) is on the banks of Neelum River. Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple and Sharada was called Kashmira Puravasini (resident of city of Kashmir). Kashmiri Hindus remain highly devoted towards this deity, and by extension, to the Sharada Peeth temple.[1] As part of their daily worship, Kashmiri Hindus utter the phrase" "Namastey Sharada Devi Kashmir Pur Vasini Tvam Ham Prartheye Nityam Vidya Danam Che De hi mey" (Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir. I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge).

The temple had periodically fallen into disrepair by the 14th century, and was last repaired by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir in the 19th Century. Following the brief 1948 war in the region between Pakistan and India, the site came under control of Pashtun tribesmen who invaded the region. Control was then passed to the newly formed rebel government of Pakistan administered Kashmir. The site was heavily damaged in the 2005 earthquake which struck the region, and has not been repaired since that time by the government of Pakistan. Pakistani Hindus rarely visit the temple, preferring to visit sites farther south in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces.

The place was once a celebrated centre of learning in the subcontinent. It was a centre of great Sanskrit scholars and Kashmiri Pandits and was a famous centre of Hinduism and Buddhism. Near Sree Sharada Devi temple, there used to be famous Sanskrit university. The temple is so ancient that Kashmir State was earlier known as 'Sharada Peeth'. It is at this temple that Sankaracharya received the right to sit on the Sarvanjnanapeetham or Sarvajna peetha(Throne of Wisdom).The temple is at a height of 11000 feet above the sea level and is about 70 miles from Srinagar, summer  Capital of Indian Administered Kashmir. The length of the temple is 142 feet and width is 94.6 feet. The outer walls of the temple are 6 ft. wide and 11 ft long. And there are arches with 8 ft. height. It is a very good example of architecture. The Sarada image at Shringeri Sharadamba temple was once said to have been made of sandalwood, which is supposed to have been taken by Sankaracharya from here. In the year 1030 CE, the Muslim historian Al-Baruni visited Kashmir. According to him, there was a wooden idol of Sree Sharada Devi in Sree Sharada Devi temple. He compared the temple of Sree Sharada Devi with the Multan Sun Temple, Vishnu Chakraswamin temple at Thaneshwar and Somnath temple.

During 16th century, when Akbar was ruling at Delhi, Abul Fazal, one of the famous 'Nava-Ratnas' in his Court, has written about Sree Sharada Devi temple that Sree Sharada Devi temple is near the banks of river Madhumati (currently Neelum river) which is full of gold particles and he also wrote that one can experience miracles on every eighth day of the bright fortnight of the month. In the 14th century, the temple was attacked for the first time. After this attack, India started losing its contact with Krishanganga and Sharada Peeth. In the 19th century, Dogra king of Kashmir restored this temple.

Sage Shandilya used to meditate in Sharada-van. Near the temple of Sree Sharada Devi, there is 'Amarkund' lake. It is believed that Sage Shandilya got the 'darshan' of Sree Sharada Devi there.

Prior to the partition, a fair was held at village Shardi in the month of Bhadrapada and on the eighth day of the Shukla Paksha, and devotees from all over India, flocked the place in thousands, for receiving the blessings of the Mother Sharada deity. There is a place called "Tikkar" at a distance of one and half kilometers from Kupwara, in Kashmir. From here, there is a short cut for going to Shardi which measures 40 k.m. Many Pilgrims treaded this path only.

Prior to the partition of India, many Kashmiri Pandit families were settled in "Shardi". Those professing as priests and traders had their shops and establishments in the near vicinity of the Sharda Teerath. Besides, many saints, ascetics and their associates/disciples and their servants also lived there.

Presently , the Sharda Temple lies within POK territory and one has to travel from Muzaffarbad to Thitwal - 80 K.M. from Thitwal to Karna-20 k.m., from Keran to Dudhe Niyal - 24 km, and from Dudhaniyal to Shardi- 16 K.M., to reach Sharda. 

Sri Vidya Saraswathi temple, Vargal

Vargal has famous Sri Vidya Saraswathi temple which is situated at the pictorial background which has a unique rock formation and a valley around this hill in the village of Vargal(Wargal) in Medak District . Here there is a temple dedicated to lord Shani separately with a big statue measuring around 3 feet in height which is one of the biggest statue of the lord shani in Telangana.

The temple is best known among people as Wargal Saraswati Temple, located just 55 km away from the city of Hyderabad.

Saraswathi is the Goddess of education and kids seeking education are brought to this temple for Aksharabhyasam (initiation into education) before joining them into the school for the first time. The hillock of Vargal has multiple temples on the same hill. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple, Sri Vidya Saraswati temple, Lord Shanishwara Temple, Lord Shiva Temple. Moola vigrahas of ancient Vishnava Temples are completely damaged.

In 1998 the building process for the above temple was activated under the group who called themselves as Satya patam seva samethi. This committee has started searching for a convenient place to built a temple.

Ultimately they selected the hillock of Vargal, where 400 years old Shambu Deva Temple was situated. This temple is 2 feet below the ground level and one has to pass by crawling on the ground for few feet to reach the main Shiva lingam. Surrounding this temple were two ancient Vaishnaya Temples which were built during or before the Kakatiya rulers. There is a big Victory Pillar made of rock which is around 30 feet in height. The Victory Pillar has the statues of Sita Rama Lakshmana, Goddess Lakshmi and entwined couple of snakes.

On Vasantha Panchami of 1989 the Bhoomi pooja was performed and the foundation stone was laid for the temple of Sri Saraswathi Devi. It should be noted on this day they had only Rs. 2700 only. When they started propagating about the process of building Saraswathi Temple of donations poured in as a flood. In this way the construction process continued without any hindrance with the help of Lord Saraswathi.

On 1992 Magashudda Trayodashi Pushpagiri petadipate Sri Sri Sri Vidya Nrusinha Bharati Swamy has laid the foundation to the statues of Goddesses Sri Vidya Saraswathi Devi and Lord Shani statues in a temple. This temple was later dedicated to Kanchi Petam and a Vedic Patashala was started in 1999 by Sri Shankara Vijaya Saraswathi of Kanchi Petam and Lakshmi Ganapathi was inaugarated in 2001. The Expenditure crossed 1 crore of the rupees for building this temple. The temple has 13 and half acres of land on the east side were a park, library, hospital were planned in their future expansion.

During Dussehra period 1000's of devotees visit the temple every day. The Dussehra festival starts with Vigneshwara Pooja. Maha Abishekam Navaratri Kalasha Sthapana Chathu Sha shatyu pachara pooja, Arathi, Mantha Pushpam, Kukumarchana were performed. Laksha pooja Archana Pustaka Roopini Saraswathi Pooja Ashtothara Shathakalasha Abishekam On the last day of Vijayadarshanam of the goddesses Saraswati is decorated for devotees.

Pooja for Lord Shani Special pooja is performed on every Shani Trayodashi which comes on the saturday. The poojas for Lord Shani start at 5 a.m. in the morning which start with Ganapathi pooja and Japam, Homam is performed with Tarpana to Lord Shani.

Best days for performing Aksharabhyasam at Saraswathi Temple are: Ugadi, Sravana Pournami day, Vijaya Dasami, Guru Poornima and Basant Panchami day.
Some special poojas that are performed at Vargal Saraswathi temple are Chandi Homam which is a special event here.

Annual Events Celebrated at Wargal Temple are Vasantha Panchami Mahotsavam, Sharad Navratri Mahotsavam and Shani Thrayodashi.

In order to know temple timings and how to reach Vargal visit-

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Sri Gnana Saraswathi temple,Basara

Sri Gnana Saraswathi temple is at Basara on the banks of river Godavari is the only temple in South India dedicated to the Goddess of learning. The Saraswati temple at Basara is one of the two famous Saraswati temples in India, the other being in Jammu & Kashmir. This temple is situated 200 Kms from Hyderabad, Telangana.

Local legends suggest that Maharshi Veda Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, came to the forests of Dandakaryana to meditate. He began meditating on the banks of the River Godavari and found the place to be very peaceful. The divine mother is believed to have appeared before the sage and ordained him to build temples for the Shakti trio: Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali. The sage Veda Vyasa did so by bringing three handfuls of sand and sculpts out the figures. This idol made of sand has its face smeared with turmeric. Eating a little bit of this turmeric paste, it is believed, will enhance one’s wisdom and knowledge. This place was initially named after Vyasa and was called “Vyasapuri”. Later on it got took names Vasara and ultimately Basara/Basar due to the influence of the Marathi language in the region.

Due to the presence of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali, Basara is considered as the abode of the divine trinity on the Bank of the River Godavari.

Children are brought here for the ceremony of Akshara puja to start their education with the blessings of the Goddess of Knowledge.The Vedavathi Sila, the Ashtateertha are other places of interest around Basara.

Read complete article here-

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Babosa Churu Dham

Babosa Maharaj is truly regarded as "Kali-Yuga Avtari". In this Kali Yuga, our philosophical knowledge has reduced drastically and we believe in only those things that are in front of our eyes. In accordance with this, Babosa Maharaj gives darshan to us devotees in front of our naked eyes. His devotees too see him in different forms. Some worship him in the form of Lord Shree Krishna, some see him in the form of Lord Shree Vishnu, some see him in the form of Bajrang Bali or Lord Hanuman ji. Devotees generally worship him in this form only, that is Hanuman form.

Many people speak of the innumerable chamatkars that have been orchestrated by this great God power. Devotees who worship him with immense faith have felt his divine grace in times of hardships. Babosa grants all the boons who worship him. Devotees miraculously find ready and immediate response to their prayer.

Babosa Maharaj was born in Chrur village of Rajasthan state of India under Kothari clan. His father's name was Ghevar-chand Kothari and His mother's name was Chagni-devi Kothari. Mother Chagni-devi was a great devotee of Lord Shri Hanuman ji. One day, inspired by His devotees praying, veer Bajrang Bali presented himself in front of Chagni-devi and asked her for a wish. Chagni-devi asked for a bright and intelligent son like Him.

After 9 months of this incident, Chagni-devi gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, who was named Panna. Panna was great devotee of Lord Hanuman, and in his childhood only he started showing great leela's. People started recognizing Panna's power and he became quite famous in that region. In about age of 18, Panna left prithvi lok and went to swarga-loka (heaven).

At swarga-loka too, Panna was engaged in the devotion of Lord Shri Hanuman ji only. On the day of mingsar shukla panchami, Hanuman ji gave his powers and boons to Panna. Hanuman ji did rajtilak (coronation) of Panna and said that people will know him by his name also. From that day, Panna started to be known as Babosa Maharaj or Balaji Babosa Maharaj.

Babosa Maharaj was born on "magh shukla panchami" or "basant panchami", retired for Swarg-lok on "Bhadrav Shukla Panchami" and His coronation was performed by Hanuman ji on "Mingsar shukla panchami".

The prime focus of Babosa Darbar is - when Babosa Maharaj miraculously enters the body of Guru Maa Shree Manju Baisa during Kirtan. Devotees can then see Lord Shree Balaji Babosa Maharaj in 'Bala roop' (Hanuman face). They pay their homage directly to Babosa Maharaj who is in front of them. One feels that no one else but Lord Hanuman ji himself has come down to earth in order to bless his devotees. Devotees wait for hours to take a look at this miraculous sight. Due to her profound devotion, the powers of Babosa Maharaj are available only to Shri Manju Baisa.

There are many events that are celebrated every year for Babosa Maharaj. The grandest of them is the yearly 'Mingsar Utsav' or 'Mingsar Mela' which is celebrated at Babosa Maharaj's Churu Temple. It is celebrated on the day of 'mingsar shukla panchami' according to Hindu calendar, which occurs generally in November-December month. This is a special day as on this day, Babosa Maharaj was crowned as God-Power by Hanuman ji at Swarg-Loka (Heaven). To attend this celebration, thousands of devotees from different parts of world collect here. In the afternoon, a grand procession is carried out along the Churu city, and in the evening, a grand kirtan is organized which continues whole night. Devotees full with profound devotion chant and sing kirtans of Babosa Maharaj. They believe that all their wishes are granted at this kirtan. Many devotees also offer 'chappan bhog' and 'sawa mani' on the lost feet of Babosa Maharaj.

Other popular event for Babosa Maharaj is the yearly 'janmotsav' celbration. This is celebrated on 'Magh Shukla Panchami' or 'Basant Panchami' according to Hindu calendar, which occurs generally on January-February months. Babosa Maharaj is believed to have taken birth in Churu city on this auspicious day. This event is celebrated at the City of Kolkata every year. A Grand kirtan is organized in the presence of Shree Manju Baisa. Just like Mingsar Mela, Babosa Maharaj blesses thousands of devotees with His divine grace.

Apart from these main events, the fifth day of lunar-fortnight or waxing-moon (shukla paksh ki panchami) is celebrated as Babosa Maharaj's day. Devotees all over world organize 'Kirtan' and 'Bhandara' on this auspicious day. some also keep fast on this day. Some devotees keep fast on every Tuesday as a mark of devotion to Babosa Maharaj.

According to on-going practice and popular belief, by tying a 'nariyal' in Babosa temple at Churu Dham, one's wishes are granted and they become true. By the power of Lord Shree Babosa Maharaj, incurable diseases vanishes away, problems due to ghosts and tantra-mantra are resolved. Monetary, physical, mental, every type of problems are eased.

The take-away from this temple is pure aarti water (pavan jal), aarti ash (bhabhuti), and a sacred thread as protection cover (tanti). Devotees claim that they have experienced miracles by using these three things.

From Jaipur International Airport Churu Dham is 215 KM ,from Churu Junction 1.1 KM and from Churu Bus Station 1.2 KM. Local taxi and three wheeler autos are easily available from railway station and bus stand.

Temple timings are - 5.30-11.30, 15.30-20.30

Kamadgiri Temple

Kamadgiri, the original Chitrakuta, is a place of prime religious significance. A forested hill, it is skirted all along its base by a chain of temples and is venerated today as the holy embodiment of Rama. Lord Rama is also known as Kamadnathji which literally means fulfiller of all wishes. There is a five kilometer Parikrama Path around the Kamadgiri Mountain.

The place is believed to have been the abode of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman during their exile. Lord Kamtanath, another of His names, is the Ishta Deva principal deity not only of Kamadgiri Parvat but of the whole of Chitrakoot.

There are a large number of temples in the Parikrama Path. Except during the summers, the place remains green throughout the year and appears like a bow seen from any place in Chitrakoot. Parikrama can be started from any point in the path after having darshan of Lord Kamadnathji .

From Allahabad Airport Kamadgiri is 115 KM, from Chitrakoot Dham Karwi Station it is 12 KM and from Bus Stand Karwi it is 11.2 KM. Taxi and Auto are convenient to visit the temple. The temple timings are 5:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

SHREE CHINTAMAN SIDDHA GANESH MANDIR

This Temple is of historical importance as its dates back to the time of Maharaja Vikrmaditya. Sehore was commonly known as Siddhpur in the kingdom of Vikramaditya. Chintaman Ganesh Temple is situated in the west-north of Sehore.
It is said that the statue in this temple was established by Vikramaditya upon inspiration from Lord Ganesha. The legend states - About 2000 years ago, The king of Ujjayani (Avantika) used to worship the lord Chintaman Ganesh in the fort of Ranthambore every Wednesday.One day the lord Ganesh appeared in a king's dream and said, "I will appear in the form of Lotus flower on Shiva-Parvati confluence in Sevan river which is 10 to 15 Km in the west from the temple. Collect that flower and bring it with you" As instructed the king collected the flower and left for Ujjayni. On the way he heard the divine voice, "Oh king you have only one night to take me anywhere you want. As the sun will rise then i'll turn into an idol and stay right there"
On the way the wheel of chariot got stuck in the muddy road and couldn’t be pulled out in spite of massive efforts. As soon as there was sun rise the flower turned in to Lord Ganesha’s idol which was also half buried in to the ground. Efforts were made to pull out the statue but all efforts went in vein. The King finally decided to leave the idol there thinking this was Lord Ganesha’s wish and decided to build a temple at the same site.
At present the eyes of idol are made up of silver but the locals claim they were made of diamond and some 150 years ago they were stolen. For 21 days milk continuously flowed from the idol’s eye spot and finally Lord Ganesha appeared in the priest’s dream and instructed him to place eyes made of silver. The priest followed the instructions and placed new eyes made of silver. A huge bhandara was organized on this occasion and since then every year bhandara is organized to commemorate this event. A huge temple fair is also organized in which locals and people from nearby cities participate.
Every month on Ganesh Chaturthi tithi, bhandara is organized to thank Lord Ganesha who saved this village from plague some 60 years ago.

People make wish here by making reverse Swastika and once the wish is fulfilled they come and make correct Swastika.

On the occasion of Lord Ganesh's birthday, a 10 day fair is organized every year and thousands of people visit the temple to seek divine blessings. 

n India there are four naturally originated Swayambhu (self-manifested) Chintaman Ganesh Temple .

Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur-Rajasthan)
Siddhpur (Sehore-Madhya Pradesh)
Awantika (Ujjain-Madhya Pradesh)
Theur, (Theur Near Pune- Maharastra

Raja Bhoj International Airport , Bhopal 41 KM, Sehore Railway station 3 KM, Sehore Bus Stand 3.6 KM. Since limited trains halt at Sehore one can get down at Bhopal Junction (46 KM) and come to Sehore by bus or other trains.

Temple timings: 5.30 - 1200, 16.00-20.00

Thirunelli Temple

Thirunelli Temple is the only temple in the world where the devotees can perform all the rituals related to one’s life, starting from birth to death and life after death.

It is one of the most ancient temples in Kerala. It is believed that here the prathishta of Lord Vishnu was performed by Lord Brahma. It is also known as ''Sahyamala Kshetram'' and ''Kashi of the South''.

Thirunelli Temple draws pilgrims from allover, primarily for ancestral rites. The rituals are performed on the banks of the stream Papanasini which flows down from Mount Brahmagiri. It is believed that this stream has divine power to dissolve sins of all the mortals. Another major attraction of the temple is the holy rock where people pray for their forefathers.

On the western side of the temple is the cave temple Gunnika, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Thus Thirunelli becomes blessed by the unique presence of all the members of the trinity.

The name Thirunelli derives from the word nelli, the Malayalam/Tamil equivalent for Indian gooseberry (Amla) tree. Once when Lord Brahma while traversing the world, saw an idol of Lord Vishnu resting on an amla tree in the valley and thus the place came to be named Thirunelli. In Padma Purana (written by Veda Vyasa) there is mention of a beautiful Vishnu temple located in the picturesque Sahya valley deep in the middle of the forest. Thirunelli temple is also referred to as Amalaka temple and Sidha temple.

History depicts Chera king Kulasekharan as the founder of this temple. He lived between A.D 767 and A.D 834. After a brief reign, he relinquished the throne and started missionary work to propagate Vaishnava order. It was he who wrote the Sanskrit work Mukundamaala in which he earnestly prays to Lord Vishnu to instill in him devotion.

On stylistic ground this looks as a typical Kerala temple. The inner sanctorum is surrounded by a tile roofed structure. And there’s an open courtyard around the sanctorum. At the east, in front of the entrance is a granite lamp-post. Curiously enough the flag post is absent, though one can spot a hole on the floor where it ought to be.

Along the outer wall of the temple is a cloister made of granite pillars cut in cubical style. This part of the temple architecture is slightly unusual for a Kerala temple. And it seems the cloister work was never completed. The story goes that once the King of Coorg, tried to renovate this temple. When he was half way through, the Vellattiri King who owned the temple objected to the same. Thus renovation was discontinued. Even today we can see proof of the half finished renovation work.

It is an undisputed fact that Thirunelli was once an important town and pilgrim centre in the middle of inaccessible jungled valley surrounded on four sides by mountains. The copper plates of the 10th century and a few books of the later centuries convincingly prove that Thirunelli was an urban hub in South India at least from 10th century onwards. Also in the dense forest surrounding the temple, the ruins of two ancient villages can be found. Recent excavations at the time of paving roads have yielded coins of 9th and 10th centuries. There are two copper plate inscriptions pertaining to the history of Thirunelli Temple. They date back to the period of Bhaskara Ravivarma, a ruler of the Chera kingdom who lived in the 10th century. First inscription is written in 999 A.D (37th year of the rule of Bhaskara Ravivarma) and the second inscription in 1008 A.D (46th year of the rule of Bhaskara Ravivarma). The first one is regarding the allotment of the royal land in Thirunelli to the temple, to meet its expenses towards daily poojas. The second inscription deals with the procedures to be observed during the temple visit of the ruler of the Puraikeezhar Kingdom. The donor in the first inscription is Kunhikutta Varman VeeraKurumpurai who ruled Kurumbranaad. The donor in the second inscription is Sankaran Godavarman of Purakeezhar dynasty. Both the inscriptions shed light to the ruling customary practices and social relations of the time.

Soon he installed the deity with a request to Lord Vishnu that he should remain in this area to give peace to the human souls hounded by the thought of their sins. Lord Vishnu assured that the rivers around this temple would wash away the sins of human beings during their mortal life and life after death. Brahma entrusted two pious Brahmins of the Amalaka village, its keeping. He also instructed them that everyday he himself visit the place and do service to Vishnu. The puja (worship) in every shrine closes ordinarily at about 9 to 10 P.M. But in this shrine, where the ordinary puja is done five times, from morning till Night the priest prepares for a sixth puja before leaving the place. On opening the doors next morning he finds that all the materials for the puja have been utilised during the night. It was Lord Brahma who performed the sixth puja when the animate and inanimate objects are in deep slumber. This has been going on every day and will go on for ever. The priest before entering the temple in the morning swears thrice that he will not divulge what he sees there on opening the door, and no priest dares to give out the secret at the risk of being bitten by cobras emanating from the shrine. Lord Brahma ordained that visits and prayers at the temple would remove the sins and secure paradise. He also ordained that the performance of prayers and ceremonies would lead to the perpetual salvation of the spirits of the departed, to the world of “Pithurloka” (region of blissful spirits). It is to attain this blessing, pronounced by Brahma, pilgrimages are undertaken to the shrine.

The Gunnika temple on the western side is the abode of Lord Shiva. Thus all the members of the trinity Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are omnipresent here. Gunnika temple is embellished in the Kongu-Chera styles of handiworks. The belief is that, Gunnika was the abode of Lord Shiva and it was from here that he started to Kottiyur to kill Dhakshan, the father of Sathi Devi. After the ancestral rites at Pinnappara, pilgrims visit Gunnika temple also.

Thirunelli is a unique place where one would experience communion of nature with the divine forces. Thus it becomes an ideal spot for pilgrimage as well as an idyllic location for enjoying the nature’s bounties. Sunrise on the Brahamagiri at the back drop of Thirunelli temple is an enthralling sight. Papanasini, Pinnappara, Panchatheertham and Gunnika Temple are the other places of importance for the pilgrims who come with ardour and devotion

Thirunelli Devaswam is maintaining Panchatheertham Vishrama Mandiram for devotees accommodation. There are Himagiri Homes and Agraharam Resorts for the accommodation.

Thirunelli Temple is located at Thirunelli, 137 kms from Calicut, 121kms from Mysore and 250 kms from Bangalore.

Temple timings are - Morning – 05:30 am to 12:00 pm and Evening – 05:30 pm to 08:00 pm

The Sun Temple of Konark

The Sun Temple of Konark marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting the grace , the joy and the rhythm of life all it's wondrous variety. There is an endless wealth of decoration from minute pattterns in bas-relief done with a jeweller's precision to boldly modelled free standing sculptures of exceptionally large size. Under the crackling wheels of past events , the Sun Temple has lost its main sanctuary but the remaining structure and the ruins arouns testify till today the boundless creative energy of Orissan artistes and their impresive contribution to the treasury of Indian Art and building technique. Standing majestically on the sandy coast of the Bay of Bengal, the porch, in its solitary grandeur is an eloquent testimony of a gracious and mysterious past. Dedicated to Sun God, this temple was constructed by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty was dazzling supreme in the political firmament of India.

The Sun Temple built in the thirteenth century was built as a gigantic chariot of Sun God, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses. Majestic in conception, this Temple is indeed one of the most sublime monuments of India, famous as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of of architectural grandeur with plastic allegiance. It is admittedly the best in Orissa. Its fine traceries and scroll work, the beautiful and natural cut of animal and human figures, all give it superiority over other temples. The chief quality is its design and architectural details. The Sun temple belongs to the Kalinga School of Indian Temples with characteristic curvilinear towers mounted by Cupolas. In shape, the Temple did not make any major departure from other sikhara temples of Orissa. The main sanctum which (229 ft. high) was constructed alongwith the audience hall (128 ft. high) having elaborate external projections. The main sanctum which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off. The Audience Hall survives  in its entirely but of the other two viz the Dancing Hall(nata Mandir) and the Dining Hall (Bhoga-Mandap), only small portions have survived the vagaries of time. The Temple compound measures 857 ft. by 540 ft.

  The alignment of the Sun Temple is on the east-west direction. The Temple is located in natural surroundings, abounding with casuarina plantations and other types of trees, wchich grow on sandy soil. The environment is by and large unspoiled. Gentle undulating topography around the Sun Temple lends some variation  to the  landscape.

The name Konark derives from the combination of the Sanskrit words, Kona (corner or angle) and Ark (the sun), in reference to the temple which was dedicated to the Sun God Surya. The monument was also called the Black Pagoda'(Kaala Pagoda) by the European sailors. In contrast, the Jagannath Temple in Puri was called the White Pagoda. Both temples served as important landmarks for the sailors. Konark Sun Temple used Iron beams for its structure.

The temple was originally built at the mouth of the river Chandrabhaga, but the waterline has receded since then. The temple has been built in the form of a giant ornamented chariot of the Sun god, Surya. It has twelve pairs of elaborately carved stone wheels which are 3 meters.

The Konark temple is also known for its erotic sculptures of maithunas. Two smaller ruined temples have been discovered nearby. One of them is called the Mayadevi Temple and is located southwest from the entrance of the main temple. It is presumed to have been dedicated to Mayadevi, one of the Sun god's wives. It has been dated to the late 11th century, earlier than the main temple. The other one belongs to some unknown Vaishnava deity. Sculptures of Balarama, Varaha and Trivikrama have been found at the site, indicating it to be a Vaishnavite temple. Both temples have their primary idols missing.

From Biju Pattnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar  the sun temple is 62.8 KM, from Bhubaneswar Railway Station it is 61.6 KM and from Konark Bus Stand 1.4 KM. Buses are available frequently from Bhubaneswar to Konark. Sharing taxis are also an option.