Chariot Wheel at Konark Sun Temple. Odisha, India

If you have just one hour to visit Odisha and you want to see something spectacular that is so amazing, then that place is Konark Sun Temple. I was a seven year old kid when I visited this place for the first time and I enjoyed it despite the hot summer son. Visiting the place after almost 30 years [ I am old now :) ] , I was blown away by the amazing architecture of the Sun Temple. Konark Sun Temple was built during the 13th Century by King Narashimadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty

The Konark Sun temple is made of Khondalite rocks which contain high amount of Iron content. This in turn makes the temple rust as it is very near the Bay of Bengal (Sea). There are no prayers in the temple and it is maintained by Archeological Survey of India. The temple is built in form of a Chariot for Sun God and hence you will see these beautifully carved wheels for the Chariot. These wheels also function as a Sun dial.

I have a suggestion to make for folks visiting Konark — “Go in the evening as the colors are more spectacular bringing the beauty of the artisans who built this temple centuries ago.”

Konark Sun temple is also an UNESCO world heritage site.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia article on Konark Sun Temple for more information.