 We all know India is absolutely rich in ancient history, but our understanding of history in this region is somewhat lost in time. It's not that we can't accept Indian mythology as being that of historically accurate record to a certain degree, it's just the fact that certain aspects of these written tales do not fit in with the ideology that we have become accustomed to believe without question throughout thousands of years of suppression. Traditions still exist in India, however, that are so ancient they literally date back to the time of the gods and are still preserved through oral tradition and the building of conceptual ideas that were already envisioned thousands of years earlier. One such masterpiece is in that of the Konark Sun Temple, and while it is widely accepted that this incredible monument was only built in the 13th century, there are others who suggest that this work of ancient art is much older and may have been the subject to a restoration in the 13th century as opposed to being constructed then and the true timeline of this building is placed many years earlier. Wait, do you hear this? According to Hindu mythology, the Konark Sun Temple was constructed by Samba, one of Krishna's sons. Samba has been cursed by Krishna because he entered the bathing chamber of his father's wives. As a result of this, Samba suffered from leprosy. He was advised by a sage to undergo severe penance for 12 years at Mitravana. This was pleasing to Surya, the sun god who is also the healer of all skin diseases. Samba was cured of his leprosy by this deity. Krishna's son showed his gratefulness to Surya by promising to build a temple in his honor. The following day, whilst Samba was bathing in the river, he found an image of Surya under the water which he took and installed at the temple he built. What remains today of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100 foot high chariot with immense wheels and horses all carved from stone. Once over 200 feet high, much of the temple is now in ruins, in particular the large Shikara Tower. At one time, this rose much higher than the Mandapa that remains. The structures and elements that have survived are famed for their intricate artwork, iconography, and themes that have fueled speculation of a real-life chariot of the gods since the 1970s. The Konark Temple is widely known not only for its architectural greatness, but also for the sophistication and abundance of sculptural work. It is an exceptional mixture of marvelous temple architecture, heritage, and salient natural beauty. Even in its ruined state, it is a magnificent temple reflecting the mastermind of the architects that envisioned and constructed it. The main attraction of the temple is its 12 pairs of wheels located at the base of the temple. These wheels are not ordinary wheels, but till time as well. The spokes of the wheels create a sundial. You can calculate the precise time of day by just looking at the shadow cast by these spokes. When this place was initially constructed, a heavy magnet was also placed at the top of the temple. With the use of both iron plates and smaller magnets placed around the temple, this gave the ancient viewer the idea that the sun god statue was apparently floating in mid-air with no supports. This was a very clever usage of this technology that is not represented at any other known temple on earth. It would have been a stunning sight, and we don't think this has ever been replicated. The placement of the main temple and the sun god had been aligned in such a way that the first ray of the sun from the coast would cross the Nara Mandir dancing hall and would fall and reflect from the diamond placed at the crown of the sun god. Every inch of this temple is carved with majestic art. The temple was in ruins before its restoration. Speculation continues as to the cause of the destruction of the temple. Early theories stated that the temple was never completed and collapsed during construction. This is contradicted by textual evidence and evidence from inscriptions. The Kandoli copper plate inscription of 1384 from the reign of Nara Simha seems to indicate that the temple was not only completed, but an active site of worship. Another inscription states that various deities in the temple were consecrated, also suggesting that construction of the temple had been completed. A non-Hindu textual source, the Akbar era text Ani Akbari by Abul Fazl, dated to the 16th century, mentions the Karnar temple, describing it as a prosperous site with a temple that made visitors astonished at its site, with no mention of ruins, by the way. Texts from the 19th century do mention ruins, which means the temple was damaged either intentionally or through natural causes. Sometime between 1556 and 1800, the intentional damage theory is supported by Menghao era records that mention the Muslim invader Kalaparhar, attacking and destroying Jagannath, Puri, and the Karnark temple. Other text states that the temple was ransacked several times by Muslim armies between the 15th and 17th centuries. Islamic text described the raids of Kalaparhar, mentioned his army's first attempt to destroy the temple in 1565, but they failed. They inflicted only minor damage and carried away the copper colossa. In 1984, the enigmatic masterpiece was placed under the protection of the entire planet when it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to be maintained for all time. It is a shame to think how much of it has been lost, but through the myths and legends we can trace this place back through history. There is so much more just waiting to be discovered, and even more so the history of our true ancient past. We are probably lucky to have as much left on this planet in regards to ancient places, but there is no doubt that at least 80% of all ancient places dating through thousands of years are lost forever. We are beginning to wake up as a civilization, more and more history is adding to the real truth. Books can be hidden and destroyed and knowledge can be used to control the people, but when you look at what they can no longer hide from us, the enormity of what was at work in the very ancient past becomes apparent, dating modern history back 12,500 years, and ancient history beyond that timeline. If we look at the history of ancient sites based on this notion, it actually makes sense and the dots begin to add up. What do you guys think of the Conarch Temple? Comments below and thank you for watching!