The sun is the king of all planets.
“The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time” (Sri Brahma Samhita 5.52).
Most Indian temples are devoted to the Sun God, Surya. All living beings including, demigods, human beings, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, creepers, and trees rely on the heat and light provided by the Sun God who controls the seasonal changes.
The Konark Sun Temple is the most famous temple located in Odisha, India. “Konark” comes from the Sanskrit words, “kona,” which means “corner” and “ark,” which means “sun.”
At the base of the temple, there are twelve pairs of wheels. There are eight spokes on each wheel which create a sundial. The distance between two spokes is one “pahar” (3 hours), meaning that all eight spokes equal 24 hours.
On either side of the entrance to the temple there are sculptures of huge lions crushing elephants. Underneath the elephant lies a human body. Lions represent pride, while elephants represent money, therefore, portraying what crushes a man’s soul.
The Konark Temple is the only world heritage site of UNESCO in Odisha.
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