Conceived as a chariot for the Sun God, the temple has 24 giant stone wheels (each wheel is about 10 feet in diameter) with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. The entire structure is carved out of stone. Seven horses drag the temple and two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants under their feet. While the temple is in ruins today, it still retains the magnanimity and splendor with which it was built. Tourists have to go up a flight of steps to the main entrance of the temple. Beautiful carvings and sculptures adorn the walls of the Sun Temple along with thousands of images of gods and goddesses.

Around the Sun Temple

• Considered as one of the finest beaches in the world, the Konark Sea Beach is around 2 miles from the temple. The Chandrabhaga beach is a quiet beach with beautiful surroundings. During the Chandrabhaga Mela, pilgrims take a holy dip in the pool and come to the beach to watch the sunrise at the sea.
  
  
• The temple of Goddess Ramachandi is located to the southwest of the Sun Temple. Ramachandi is considered to be the presiding deity of the Konark region and is regarded as one of the images of Sun God. This location is popular for weekend picnics.
  
  
• Excavated just behind the Ramachandi temple lies the temple of Lord Vishnu with figures of Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati on the walls. There is no deity inside the temple and a pillar in front of the temple is said to be the seat of Garuda (Lord Vishnu's charioteer).
  
  
• A small museum run by the Archaeological Survey of India is located next to the Sun Temple. The museum has a good collection of sculptures taken from the temple ruins.
  
  
• Kuruma is a small village (8 kilometers from the Sun Temple) where recent excavations have brought up some ancient Buddhist antiques. One of them is the image of Buddha seated in Bhumisparsa Mudra along with the image of Heruka and a 17 meters long brick wall. This is supposed to be one of the sites containing Buddhist stupas described by Hiuen T'Sang.

Festivals of Konark

• The Chandrabhaga Mela held in February every year is when the Sun God is worshipped at Konark. Thousands of pilgrims flock to Konark every year for this festival.
  
  
• The Konark Dance Festival is held from the 1st to 5th of December every year. This festival is unique as it strives to preserve the unique temple dance tradition of Orissa. Live performances are held in the amphitheatre near the Sun Temple as a tribute to this majestic monument.

Arts and crafts

Konark offers a variety of exquisite handicrafts. You will find a wide array of arts and crafts at the local market. This includes Pata paintings, stone carvings, terracotta, lacquer ware, paddy corn crafts, hand woven textiles and fabrics and articles made of bamboo.

Where to stay

Accommodation is available at the Panthanivas which is managed by the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and the Yatri Nivas. Many tourists, however, prefer to stay at Puri or Bhubaneshwar and make a one-day trip to Konark. These two cities have a range of accommodation options to suit your budget.

When to visit

The best time to visit Konark is between October and March when the weather is pleasant. Summers usually tend to be very hot.

How to get here

Regular train service is available from Konark to Bhubaneshwar and Puri. The nearest airport is located in Bhubaneshwar (65 kilometers away). You can also reach Konark by road either from Bhubaneshwar or Puri.

Info for you!

• Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are available for transport within the city.
  
  
• As the entire Konark area is surrounded with forests, there are many areas that can be used as picnic spots.