KONARK TOURISM | SUN TEMPLE | PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO KONARK

At a distance of 1.5 km from Konark Bus Station, Konark Sun Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the heart of Konark town in Orissa state. Renowned all over the world for its architecture, Konark Sun Temple is among the prime places to visit in Konark and is often used in promoting Konark Tourism.

Dedicated to Sun God, Konark Sun Temple was built by King Narasimhadeva I of Eastern Ganga dynasty in the 13th century CE to commemorate his victory over Muslims invaders. European sailors used this temple tower for navigation, but dubbed it the Black Pagoda for the frequent shipwrecks that occurred along the coast. This temple is one of the grandest temples of India and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. Konark was sacked by the Muslim Yavana army in the 15th century. The central statue enshrined in the temple was smuggled away to Puri by priests, but the Sun Temple was badly damaged in the attack. In the late 19th century, the remnants of this temple were excavated.

The .....

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At a distance of 1.5 km from Konark Bus Station, Konark Museum is one of the ancient museums located in the historical town of Konark in Odisha. Situated near the Sun Temple, it is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India and is one of the prominent places to visit in Konark.

The Konark Museum was started in the year 1968 with the purpose of housing the archeological excavations and the fallen sculptures from the Sun Temple. The museum has four galleries displaying 260 various antiquities. The antiquities include various sculptures, paintings, manuscripts and various fallen of parts from the Konark Sun Temple. It is a treasure house for historians and art lovers.

The first gallery of the museum holds 62 antiquities, out of which the image of Surya in sand stone, the Khandolite built reconstructed wheel, various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, etc. are the major attractions. The second gallery has 108 antiquities on display. The reconstructed wall of temple, cult objects like .....

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At a distance of 5 km from Konark Bus Station, Konark Beach is a stunning beach located in Konark, Orissa. Also known as Chandrabhaga Beach, it is regarded as one of the finest beaches along the east coast and also one of the popular Konark Tourist Places.

The Konark Sea Beach is named after Chandrabhaga River which joins sea here. The lengthy stretch of sylvan sands and soothing blue sea rushing in, undulating waves makes the Konark Beach one of the beautiful places to visit in Konark. A leisurely stroll along the beach side is a lovely experience. Tourists can also enjoy beach activities like sun bathing, surfing and many more. Though this is a great spot for sunbathing, the presence of strong currents makes swimming unsafe. A panoramic view of the sunrise is the other captivating attraction of this beach. A light house, close by Chandrabhaga is an added attraction to this place.

Konark Beach is well-known for the yearly Magha Saptami Mela, a seven day festival. It takes .....

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At a distance of 10 km from Konark, Ramachandi Temple is an ancient temple situated on the banks of Kushabhadra River near Konark in Odisha state. Situated on the Marine Drive Road from Konark to Puri, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Odisha.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Ramachandi, believed to be the main deity of Konark. The temple is even older than the Sun Temple and is one of the most important Sakti Peethas of Orissa. According to legend, Kalapahad, the rebel Hindu Brahmin youth who got converted to Islam, vowed to destroy all the temples of Hindu worship during 17th century. He approached to destroy Ramachandi Temple after destroying Sun Temple. To safeguard the temple, Goddess Ramachandi dressed as a maid and asked Kalapahad to wait at the door till she brings water from the river for the Goddess.

After a long wait, Kalapahad entered the temple and found the throne empty. He thought that the maid took away the deity, so he followed her in anger. .....

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At a distance of 7 km from Konark Bus Station, Kuruma or Kurum is a small village in Puri district of Odisha. It is one of the famous Konark Tourist Places due to its historical significance.

Kuruma is one of the major archeological excavation sites in Orissa and is mentioned in several Buddhist texts from Asoka and Ceylon and also appears in the writings of the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang. The origin of the site is dated to be between 8th-9th century AD and is a must visit for everyone who likes to explore the history of India.

The site was first reported by a school teacher named Brajabandhu Das and subsequently excavated by Odisha state Archaeology from 1971 to 1975. Prior to this excavation, a stone slab containing the beautiful image of Lord Buddha was found on the bank of a tank at one end of the village. Here, Buddha is seated cross legged with right hand in Bhumisparsa mudra while the left hand placed over his left knee. The image also wears a beautiful crown and .....

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At a distance of 34 km from Konark, Astaranga is a stunning beach in Puri district of Odisha. Situated near the mouth of Devi River, it is one of the famous and beautiful tourist places in Konark.

It lies on the coast of Bay of Bengal and is famous for the lovely and long sandy beach. It attracts lots of visitor to enjoy the natural scenery of the beach. The sunset at Astaranga Beach is incredible for tourists. In Oriya language 'Asta 'means 'Sun set' and 'Ranga' means 'Color', So 'Astaranga' means 'Colorful Sunset'.

Known as famous fishing center of Puri, the small market sits near the beach where the fishermen sell out their catches to the waiting vendors. The crowd in the early morning consisting of the boatmen returning with their nets from the sea and the intending buyers give a perfect picture of man's co-existence with nature. The famous shrine of Pir Jahania is located near the beach.

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At a distance of 27 km from Konark, Varahi or Barahi Temple is an ancient temple situated at Chaurasi near Konark in Puri district of Odisha. Situated on the banks of Prachi River, it is one of the best places to visit near Konark.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Varahi. This temple was built in the first quarter of 10th century AD during Somavamsi rule. Locally known as Matsya Varahi, the presiding deity Goddess Varahi sits in lalitasana on a plain platform with her right foot resting on the buffalo mount carved on the pedestal. She is presented as the pot-bellied goddess with the face of a boar. She has two arms and holds a fish in her right hand and a bowl in her left hand. A third eye is tightly engraved into her forehead. Here Barahi is worshipped in accordance with the tantric rituals. Goddess Varahi is offered fish every day.

The Varahi Temple has marvelous architecture and is the most beautiful monument in the Prachi Valley. The temple is east facing and built with .....

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At a distance of 21 km from Konark, Maa Mangala Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Kakatpur in Puri district of Odisha. Also known as 'Sarba Mangala Mandir' and 'Bata Mangala Temple', it is one of the most renowned Shakti Peethas in Odisha and also one of the famous places to visit in Konark.

Goddess Mangala is the presiding deity of this temple. Built in 15th century, the temple is a symbol of the ancient heritage of Kalinga. According to legend, the Goddess Mangala kept herself hidden under the waters of the River Prachi. One day a boatman was unable to cross the river in full spate when Maa Mangala told him in a dream to recover her from the middle of the river and establish her in the village of Mangalapur. He dived and recovered goddess idol and built the temple. Later, the boatman saw a crow dive into the exact spot in the river from where the deity was recovered but the crow never came out. In local Oriya language 'Crow' means 'Kaka' and 'Detained' means 'Atka'. Thus the .....

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