Konark Travel Guide
Konark is among the top 3 most popular places among tourists in Orissa. Konark is a historic town that dates back to 10th century. The highlight of this small town is the Sun Temple which is dedicated to Sun God in Hindu mythology.
Konark is placed extremely well around 67 km from state capital Bhubaneswar and 35km from another popular tourist town in Orissa called Puri. Together these three places form golden triangle for Orissa tourism. Majority of tourists to Orissa only visit these three places. Konark is located on the eastern coast of India on Bay of Bengal. Although Konark is popularly known for the Sun Temple, the beaches here are also worth the visit.
Traveling to Konark is very easy even though there is no air and train connectivity to the town. There are several options for the tourists. You can first land to Bhubaneswar and hire a taxi or take a bus to Konark, alternatively you can also take a train to Puri first and then visit to Konark. If you are living in Orissa then it is easy to take a bus to Konark thanks to well organized road transportation in the state.
Now the main attraction like I mentioned earlier is the Sun Temple. The temple was built in 13th century by Narasimha Deva, a local ruler. During its peak years, Konark temple was the grandest structure man has ever built on earth. No Roman or Greek architecture could have compete with the architecture and stone carving of the Konark Sun temple. It is believed that more than 12,000 artists were hired to built the temple.
What is most significant about the Sun Temple is its shape. The temple has been designed in the shape of 24 wheels chariot, which in Hindu belief is the official ride of Sun Lord. Inside the temple are 24 big wheels that are considered as Wheels of Life. Another popular highlight of the temple is Statue of Nataraja. Nataraja is actually a dance form which is performed by the Lord Shiva.
Once you have finished adoring the Sun Temple, head towards, Nata Mata Mandir, another popular attraction in the town. It is located on the entrance of the Sun Temple. According to archeologists, Nata Mandir was a dance hall where dance used to perform in honor of Sun God. This trend is kept alive today by the Orissa tourism department with annual Konark Dance Festival which takes place for the first 5 days of December. Thousands of dancers from different parts of India perform with the Sun Temple is the background.
After a long day visiting the temples in Konark, head towards the Chandrabhaga Sea Beach in the evening. The beach is nice place to relax and spend some quality time with your loved ones. You can see amazing views of sunset from the beach as well.
A visit to Konark is not longer than 1-2 days. Some people prefer to cover Konark in a single day due to lack of accommodation in the town. When visiting Konark you have the option to travel Puri, Bhubaneswar, Chilka Lake, Gopalpur Beach, Beleswar and Chandrabhaga. All these places are located near Konark.
The best time to visit Konark is winter months. Orissa is not a state which you should visit during summer. The temperature could be too much to bear, especially for the foreign tourists. During winter, weather remains ideal for tourists from all parts of the world to visit Konark.
Due to recent abduction of foreign tourists by the naxals, some people have some doubts about traveling to Konark. There is nothing to fear about. The naxal affected region of Orissa is far away from Konak, at least 500 km away. There is no security threat in this region.
Konark is placed extremely well around 67 km from state capital Bhubaneswar and 35km from another popular tourist town in Orissa called Puri. Together these three places form golden triangle for Orissa tourism. Majority of tourists to Orissa only visit these three places. Konark is located on the eastern coast of India on Bay of Bengal. Although Konark is popularly known for the Sun Temple, the beaches here are also worth the visit.
Traveling to Konark is very easy even though there is no air and train connectivity to the town. There are several options for the tourists. You can first land to Bhubaneswar and hire a taxi or take a bus to Konark, alternatively you can also take a train to Puri first and then visit to Konark. If you are living in Orissa then it is easy to take a bus to Konark thanks to well organized road transportation in the state.
Now the main attraction like I mentioned earlier is the Sun Temple. The temple was built in 13th century by Narasimha Deva, a local ruler. During its peak years, Konark temple was the grandest structure man has ever built on earth. No Roman or Greek architecture could have compete with the architecture and stone carving of the Konark Sun temple. It is believed that more than 12,000 artists were hired to built the temple.
What is most significant about the Sun Temple is its shape. The temple has been designed in the shape of 24 wheels chariot, which in Hindu belief is the official ride of Sun Lord. Inside the temple are 24 big wheels that are considered as Wheels of Life. Another popular highlight of the temple is Statue of Nataraja. Nataraja is actually a dance form which is performed by the Lord Shiva.
Once you have finished adoring the Sun Temple, head towards, Nata Mata Mandir, another popular attraction in the town. It is located on the entrance of the Sun Temple. According to archeologists, Nata Mandir was a dance hall where dance used to perform in honor of Sun God. This trend is kept alive today by the Orissa tourism department with annual Konark Dance Festival which takes place for the first 5 days of December. Thousands of dancers from different parts of India perform with the Sun Temple is the background.
After a long day visiting the temples in Konark, head towards the Chandrabhaga Sea Beach in the evening. The beach is nice place to relax and spend some quality time with your loved ones. You can see amazing views of sunset from the beach as well.
A visit to Konark is not longer than 1-2 days. Some people prefer to cover Konark in a single day due to lack of accommodation in the town. When visiting Konark you have the option to travel Puri, Bhubaneswar, Chilka Lake, Gopalpur Beach, Beleswar and Chandrabhaga. All these places are located near Konark.
The best time to visit Konark is winter months. Orissa is not a state which you should visit during summer. The temperature could be too much to bear, especially for the foreign tourists. During winter, weather remains ideal for tourists from all parts of the world to visit Konark.
Due to recent abduction of foreign tourists by the naxals, some people have some doubts about traveling to Konark. There is nothing to fear about. The naxal affected region of Orissa is far away from Konak, at least 500 km away. There is no security threat in this region.
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