 architectural marvel of eastern India and a symbol of India's heritage. Konark Sun Temple, commonly known as Konark, is situated in the eastern state of Orissa. Konark is located at an approximate distance of 65 km from Bhubaneswar and 35 km from Puri. Konark houses a massive temple dedicated to the sun god. The word Konark is a combination of two words, Kona and Ark. Kona means corner and Ark means sun, so when it combines it becomes the sun of the corner. There are three images of the sun god at three different sides of the temple, positioned in the proper direction to catch the rays of the sun at the morning, noon and evening. Great poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark, here the language of stones surpasses the language of men. Sun Temple of Konark, built in the middle of 13th century, is a massive conception of artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity. King Narasimha Dev I, the great ruler of Ganga dynasty, had built this temple with the help of 1200 artisans within a period of 12 years. Since the ruler used to worship the sun, the temple was considered as a chariot for the sun god. Konark temple was designed in the form of a gorgeously decorated chariot, mounted on 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter and drawn by seven mighty horses. Seven days of the week are said to be the representation of seven horses. The wheel of the chariot have an interesting fact behind their formation. Each wheel has a set of eight spokes and these spokes serves as sundials. The shadow made by these sundials give exact time of the day. On the entrance, one can see two huge lions that appear to be guarding the temple. To reach the main shrine, a flight of steps is required to be taken. On climbing the stairs, two life-sized statues of horses are visible on both sides. Inside the temple, walls imprinted with intricate carvings, sculptures and bas-lisks can enthrall the aesthetic sense of any beholder. The main sanctum represents the regal stride of the Lord Surya. The actual idol of sun god was removed from here and had been positioned in the Jagannath temple. In spite of the decay over the centuries, the beauty of this monument is still amazing. If you are seriously interested in architecture and sculpture, then you must visit this world-famous monument. The Konark is the third link of Orissa's garden triangle. The first link is the Jagannath Puri and second link is Bhubaneshwar, capital city of Orissa. UNESCO have declared the Sun Temple of Konark a World Heritage Site in 1984. The Konark Dance Festival organized here every year is a great attraction for the tourists. This was one of the wonders of India. Keep your excitement on. We will be coming up with some more interesting facts about other wonders of India. Thank you very much for watching this video. See you people in the next video. Till then, it's a bye from Design History's team.