The Sun Temple

The Sun Temple at Konark in Orissa is one of the most famous tourist places attracting a large number of tourists.

Sun Temple

The Sun Temple at Konark is a magnificent structure with its beautiful temple architecture. The temple stands majestically on the sandy coast of the Bay of Bengal and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state of Orissa. The Sun temple in its solitary grandeur is an eloquent testimony of a gracious and mysterious past.

This famous temple is located in the natural surroundings of the village of Konark which is nearly 35 Km to the north of Puri. The place is surrounded with natural vegetation that grow in the sandy soil in an unspoilt environment. Konark experiences a moderate climate which makes it easy for the tourists to visit the place round the year.

The temple is designed in the shape of a giant chariot with seven pairs of horses pulling the chariot that has twenty four wheels. The Sun temple with its stunning monuments and exquisite stone carvings on the walls is a culmination of Orissan temple architecture.

The temple was built by King Narasimhadeva-I of Ganga Dynasty in the 13th century which marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture. There is an endless wealth of decoration from minute patterns to large size free standing sculptures in the temple. There are beautiful and natural cut animal and human figures in and around the temple.

The Sun Temple at Konark hosts annual Dance Festivals featuring the traditional dance forms of India

Places Around Konark:

1. The sea beach at Konark is at a distance of nearly 2 miles from he temple. It is one of the beautiful beaches and is known as 'Lovers Paradise". Early morning is the best time to visit the beach to view the beautiful sunrise from the Bay of Bengal.

2. There is a small museum outside the temple run by the Archeological Survey of India. It has beautiful collection of sculpture of the temple ruins.

Shopping:

A variety of local handicrafts are available in the local shops. Pattachitra paintings, stone carvings, terracota, articles made of bamboo and handloom textiles of the local area are available in the shops. The attractive handwork of Pipli (a small village which is at a distance of 45 Km from Konark), which is an applique work, is very popular.

To Reach:

By Air: Bhubaneswar and Puri are the nearest airheads
By Rail: Bhubaneswar and Puri are the nearest railheads which are well connected with all major cities in India
By Road: Conveniently connected to Puri and Bhubaneswar. 

Taj Mahal - The Symbol of Love

Tajmahal is the famous tourist attraction place and one of the seven wonders of the world.Lets have a look at its specialties.

The Taj Mahal

Everyone knew,TajMahal is a symbol of love built by the famous king Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.She died in 1631 after her 14th child Govhara.
Its situated at Agra in Delhi.We can see some more specialties of it:

1. The tomb of Mumtaz is present in the middle of TajMahal with 4 pillars outside the dome shaped monument.The top of the dome has lotus shaped carving inside.

2. The monument is constructed with white marble stones fully and it has paintings of different plants,leaves and flowers.Also,jasper,jade and crystal turquoise,sapphire,pearls etc type of stones are used.

3. In the entrance,some verses from Quran has been carved.

4. Surrounding Taj Mahal,is the large garden with 16 water ponds present.These ponds separate the garden and in-between them pathway is constructed.

5. In front of TajMahal there is a pond,which shows the image of it like a mirror.Its called lotus pond and never get dried.There are many trees and plants which look fertile.Now a days,because of not maintaining it properly,we can't find those.

6. There is also a mosque and a building for guests to stay next to TajMahal.

People must visit this place atleast once in lifetime.Its worth to see.These days we cant find any husbands doing such great things for wives.So,have a visit when you find time.