Samba, the son of Lord Krishna and Jamwanti, was handsome and attractive. He was arrogant about his physical attractiveness. Samb arrived to meet Shri Krishna, and made fun of many sages like Devarshi Narada. To teach him a lesson, sage Narada took Samb to a lake where all his stepmothers were bathing. When Krishna heard this, he got angry. He cursed Samba with leprosy, but when Krishna came to know of Narada's deception, he suggested the worship of Sun God to free Samba from the curse, devotion to Sun God could have saved Samba from this curse. Samba did penance at Konark for 12 years and the Sun God was pleased and cured him.

According to tradition, Lord Vishnu killed the demon Gayasur and, to celebrate his victory, placed his conch shell at Puri, the chakra at Bhubaneshwar, the mace at Jajpur and the lotus at Konark. These were later known as Shankha Kshetra, Chakra Kshetra, Gada Kshetra, and Padma Kshetra respectively. This temple was built by Ganga Raja Narasimha Dev of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in 1278 AD.

The sanctum sanctorum has a beautifully carved chair made of chlorite stone. It rests on a lotus-shaped platform and has a gemstone idol of the Sun. On the three sides of the temple, there are three images of the Sun God, Udit Surya Balavvastha (morning sun-maker), Madhyanah Surya Yuvavastha (mid-day sun-destroyer), Aparna Surya Pruvavastha (evening sun-keeper). Made in Oriya red sandstone and black granite. This temple is made of red sand and black granite stone.

The temple is built in the shape of a huge chariot of Lord Surya Dev, with seven horses and 24 wheels, which carries the Sun God.
The seven horses represent the days of the week, while the 12 pairs of wheels attached to the chariot represent the 12 months of the year. Each wheel is about nine feet long and each has eight spokes that represent the eight pahar (eight time periods) of a day. The wheels represent the achievement of creation, preservation and realization.

Service and worship: Mainly during festivals

Celebration

Magha Saptami (dedicated to Lord Surya) is also known as Chandrabhaga Mela. It is celebrated on the seventh day of the new moon of Magha Saptami (January/February).

Konark Dance Festival is organized for a period of seven days. It is a festival of classical dance which is held every year in December. The festival has earned itself a reputation for its efforts toward the preservation and continuation of the unique temple dance tradition of Orissa.

Best time to visit: September to March

Interesting Facts: Konark Temple was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

Nearby Places

• Shree Jagannath Temple: 35 km from Puri.
• Ramchandi Temple: About 5 km from Konark.
• Balighai Beach: 8 km from Puri.
• Chaurasi-Varahi Temple: About 30 km from Konark.