Konark Sun Temple: Odisha's UNESCO World Heritage chariot of the Sun God

Background

The Konark Sun Temple on India's eastern coast is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot, with 24 wheels adorned with symbolic designs. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1984 under criteria (i), (iii) and (vi). It is a 13th-century monument, built during the reign of Narasimha Deva I (AD 1238-1264), and is an outstanding testimony to the Orissa kingdom of that time.