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How is the Konark Sun Temple designed to represent Surya’s chariot?
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Odisha
Jagannatha temple, Puri, Odisha, India.
The Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha, is architecturally designed to represent the celestial chariot of the Hindu sun god, Surya.12
The design incorporates several key features to symbolize this divine vehicle:
- Wheels: The exterior of the joined shrine and entrance hall is decorated with 12 pairs of large, intricately carved stone wheels, which represent the chariot's wheels.13
- Horses: The structure was originally adorned with seven galloping stone horses arranged to pull the chariot. These were positioned with four on one side and three on the other, intended to suggest the chariot traveling in circles across the heavens.12
- Structural Form: The entire temple complex, including the main shrine and entrance hall, is conceived as a singular, monumental chariot in which the sun god rides.12
This design serves as a pinnacle of Orissan architecture, reflecting the mythological depiction of Surya, who is commonly represented in Hinduism as riding a chariot drawn by seven horses.12