Sun Temple Research Articles

Staging Statecraft: Dance Festivals and Cultural Representations in Konark, Odisha, India

This essay argues that dance festivals are choreographed spaces that shape cultural heritage. The Konark Dance Festival in Odisha, India, is an annual program situated around the Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site. The following explores the interrelationship between the modern space of the temple monument and the modern format of festival dances in Konark. The festival project juxtaposes the monument’s archaeological value with the dances’ cultural value in choreographic neatness, which requires a critical interrogation to determine the negotiations, appropriations, and discomfort these processes otherwise entail. This article also branches out into cultural discourses beyond the stated festival that examine the historical, diplomatic, and touristic networks the dance festival often encompasses. Following the creation of the modern state of Odisha (in 1936) and of the independent nation of India (in 1947), Odisha regional dance forms were remodelled to produce the state dance Odissi, which gained national “classical” recognition in the 1960s and subsequent international repute. Odissi dance has subsequently been formulated and globally circulated as an anthropomorphic symbol of the geopolitical state of Odisha. Through ethnography, visual study, and choreographic analysis, this essay explores the (re)presentational aspects of the region-state in and through dance, which rhetorically inform the staging of the Konark Dance Festival.

14,000 Years Old Atlas of Heaven and Earth: Andean Panel in Inca Sun Temple of South America and Its Root in Paleolithic East Asia

New findings indicated that the Andean panel in the Inca Sun Temple was a relic of an ancient drawing now dated 13,000–15,000 years old. The drawing was an Atlas of Heaven and Earth that contained astronomy, geography, weathering, calendars, and a stratified society. The atlas was seamlessly integrated with dualistic cosmology, religion, ideology, and philosophy. The atlas contained the “Five Divine Stars” of the Sun, the Moon, Rising Venus, Setting Venus, and Polar Star Vega in 12,000 BC. Its “Four Sacred Asterisms” on the ecliptic were the southern Bird, the northern Snake/Turtle, the western Big Cat, and the eastern Dragon. Since the atlas was created, the North Pole has turned 180 degrees on the circle of precession. In the east, there were mountains, monsoon, and thunder. In the west, an easterly running river drained a lake or lagoon into the sea. The atlas had several metaphors. Examples were Genesis of Seven Days Creation, Life Cycles, Andean Cross, later Mayan Eight-Sided Cross, and Chinese Yin Yang Eight Gua. Heaven was round, Earth was square, and the stratification of mankind was a mandate of the Creator. The two calendars had 13 months and four seasons. One of them was a Sidereal calendar with 365 days a year and used Antares for the start of a year and conjunctions with the moon. The other Solar Lunar Calendar had three Leap “Back” Months for alignment with the solar circle. Fu Xi (ca 5,324 BC) composed Chinese dualistic religion presumably based on its drawing. Its contents were also found in China, Japan, Korea, Incans, Mayans, etc., and to some degree in Bronze Age Mesopotamia, India, and Egypt. Its birthplace was assumed to be Paleolithic East Asia, but its exact location was unknown.

Smart tools for archaeological survey in different frameworks and contexts: approaches, analysis, results

The world of geomatics today provides new tools, smart and low cost, for archaeological survey, from geographical positioning to detailed drawing and graphic documentation of past evidence. These instruments, light and not bulky, interface directly with tablets, iPads or smartphones via intuitive applications and speed up the data collection in the field: archaeological data collection seems not to be a big issue today and 3D survey appears to be accessible even to less experienced archaeologists. We have tested the Trimble Catalyst DA2 smart system for centimetric georeferencing at the Curiae Veteres in Rome (Italy), at the Sun Temple of Niuserra, in Abu Ghurab (Egypt) and inside the ancient site of Eridu in Iraq: it was a good opportunity to check the accuracy of this tool, especially when associated to detailed and close-range survey activities, related to landscape archaeology and stratigraphic excavations. As we will see, if the instrument cannot replace more precise measurement tools still today (such as total station or laser scanner), in the field of georeferencing can be alternative to more expensive and complex GNSS systems, and it proved to be quite effective in systematic archaeological survey of large areas, especially in association with digital aerial photogrammetry made by UAV-UAS.

Cultural identity, does it matter? A study on Konark Sun Temple, India

ABSTRACT It's always a challenge for destination marketers to identify experiences which create value that exacts visitors committed behavioural responses in the market. This study investigates the role of cultural identity in influencing the economic value, emotional value, and destination loyalty intentions of the visitors coming to Konark Sun Temple, India. Data analysis and hypothesis testing were done with the help of the structural equation modelling technique. Results reveal that cultural identity has a higher effect on economic value and moderate effects on emotional value and destination loyalty intention. The findings of the study also contribute to broad theoretical and managerial applications.

“Wonder of Sciences and Technology Behind Magnificent Indian Temples which Leads These to UNESCO World Heritage list” A Review

ABSTRACT: From ancient time India has religious, spiritual and cultural heritage. Probably India was the land of engineering and artist. India has lot of marvellous temples from 6 to 7th century which indicates its rich culture as well as knowledge of science and technology of Indians. This is the reason why Indian temples are continuously added to world heritage list. UNESCO World Heritage list is compiled by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the world heritage committee according to the provision of the world heritage convention which was established in 1972. As of November 2021, India has 40 world heritage sites including 32 cultural, 7 natural and 1 under mix category. In 2023- 24 more sites are added to the list…… Shanti Niketan (Ravindanath Tagore house) and Temples of Hoysael rulers in Helibid. In India there are lot of temples which are part of UNESCO World Heritage list from 1983 onwards. Rock cut temple of Ellora 1983 Sun temple Konark 1984 Monument of Mahabalipuram 1984 Khajuraho group of monuments 1986 Group of monuments in Hampi 1986 Group of monuments in Pattadakal 1987 Chola temple (Brihadisawar temple Tanjavur) 1987 Mahabodhi temple Bihar 2002 Kakatiya Ramappa temple 2021 And recently in September 2023 Heysel rulers’ temples in Helibid also added to the list. Through this research paper we are going to know about the science and technology behind these marvellous temples which make these magnificent in structure and design also.

Chemistry of ancient materials of iron in India

India is acclaimed for its rich heritage of iron making at least since the protohistoric era. The ancient artisans were able to create iron artefacts possessing outstanding characteristics, which demonstrates the level of expertise they had attained in the field of chemistry and metallurgy. Numerous iron artefacts including iron pillar in Delhi, iron pillar in Dhar, iron beams at Sun temple in Konark, bear eloquent testimony to this. Therefore, it is fascinating to study the chemistry involved in the preparation and properties of these iron-based ancient materials. Several scholars have contributed to the study of iron artefacts discovered from various sites across India which belong to different periods, regions and dynasties. Across the scholarly spectrum, special attention has been paid to study the chemistry involved in the marvelous characteristics like super corrosion resistance of iron pillars, cannons, etc.This review, therefore, presents the recent insights into iron-based materials in ancient India.Our objective is to highlight (1) a brief historical background, (2) chemical composition, (3) preparation of the material, (4) surface microstructure and (5) the mechanism behind the special features, of iron artefacts. Analysis of antiquarian remains with the help of different characterization techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), Proton induced X-ray emission, Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mössbauer spectroscopy, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), micro particles induced X-ray emission (μPIXE), etc. have been focused upon. The ancient iron making process used for producing high quality wootz steel has been discussed too. A detailed analysis of the rust-free iron pillar of Delhi has been presented. In particular, the iron pillar at Dhar, Adi-Mookambika temple, Kodachadri, and iron beams at Sun Temple, Konark, Damascus swords made of wootz steel, cannon at Thanjavur and iron specimens of Gupta period at Eran (Madhya Pradesh) are the artefacts studied to understand the characteristics of iron objects produced in India during ancient times. This study can support the future making of metallic monuments and artefacts with outstanding characteristics. This review is expected to appeal across the disciplines, including but not limited to, materials science, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, chemical engineering and archaeology.

The Study on Socio-Economic Impacts of Tourism in the Golden Triangle of Odisha

The Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar “Golden Triangle” is not only Odisha's main draw but also has enormous potential as a tourist destination. Odisha, on India's eastern coast, is an auspicious Indian state with numerous opportunities and a wealth of sights to see. The state has many natural and cultural resources, such as its beaches, arts and crafts, temples and monuments, lakes, forests, and wildlife. Millions of worshippers from all over the world visit the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puribecause it is considered one of the holiest of holy dhams in India, alongside the Sun Temple at Konark, the sole World Heritage Monument in all of India. Bhubaneswar, the state capital, is home to a wide variety of well-known tourist attractions, such as the Lingaraj temple, the Rajarani temple “widely regarded as the crowning achievement of Kalingan architecture”, the Jain caves at Khandagiri and Udaygiri, the white tiger breeding grounds at Nandankanan, the site of the Kalingan war at Dhauligiri, and many others besides. Odisha has a lot of potential as a tourist destination, and there are many exciting things to see and do there, but the state has not seen a significant uptick in visitor numbers to match its product. This study mostly focused on a popular travel destination for the “Golden Triangle”. Many people travel to Puri each year to pay their respects to Lord Jagannath because it is considered to be one of the four Dhams. The group travels to Puri, the Sun Temple at Konark, and the Shiva Temple in Bhubaneswar. Since so many people flock to Odisha, the area around Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Konarkhas become known as the “Golden Triangle”.

STUDY ON ART AND ARCHITECTURAL PATTERN OF THE SUN TEMPLE OF KONARK IN EASTERN INDIA

The aim of article is to emphasize the arts and architectural features of the Sun temple of Konark in the Puri district of Odisha. This massive Sun temple, constructed in the traditional Kalinga style, is shaped like a chariot of the Sun God, drawn by a group of seven horses and equipped with twelve pairs of exquisitely engraved stone wheels. Because of the temple's stunning eastward slope, the main entrance is first struck by the first light of dawn. An elephant and a man are crushed beneath the two enormous lions guarding the entrance on either side. The outside walls of the temple are covered in carvings of erotica, beasts, monsters, warriors, and animals. The enormous, seventy-meter-tall main sanctum, known as Vimana, collapsed in 1837 as a result of the heavy structure and poor soil. Around the main temple, archaeologists have also uncovered a few other subsidiary temples of the eleventh-century. The Mayadevi temple honors one of the wives of the Sun God, while the other is thought to be devoted to Lord Vishnu. There are a good number of "Mithuna" sculptures at Konark Sun temple. Aside from the entrance, the only remaining buildings today are the "jagamohana" (porch) and "Nata Mandir" (Dancing Hall). The Nata Mandir alludes to the 'Devdasis' tradition, in which dancers resided within the temple complex and dedicated their lives to classical dances such as Bharatnatyam and Odissi. The third point in the state's golden triangle is Konark Sun Temple; the first two points are Jagannath Puri Temple and Bhubaneswar Lingaraj Temple. It was originally constructed on the sea bank by Narasimhadeva-I, but it is now quite a distance from the coast. Just outside the Sun temple is the Nine Planets Temple, also known as the Navagraha Temple. Inside is a massive black slab that has idols of the nine planets carved out of chlorite stones. Originally housed above the main doorway, the slab is currently on display within the Navagraha temple. Out of three structures of Sun temple, the structure of jagamohana is only survived till today, but some portions of the vimana and natamandapa portions have existed to know their designs and plans.

Changing Dynamics of Arab Rule in Multan from the Eighth to Eleventh Centuries CE

This article studies the political, social, and economic patterns of Multan under Arab rule based on both primary and secondary sources. The mercantile cosmopolis Multan remained at the periphery of the central Muslim empires and had a heterogenous population with orthodox and heterodox tendencies. The rulers of these regions realized that their political power dynamics could not be like those of the centre because of their mercantile and pilgrim economy. Under the Banū Sāmah, the emirs of Multan followed a metadoxy, pietistic, and mercantile cosmopolitanism policy, as the state measures for the imposition of orthodoxy and the control of the belief system were lax. Nevertheless, the Fatimids destroyed the Aditya Sun Temple, though they signed a truce with Hindu kingdoms of surrounding areas against Maḥmūd of Ghazni without foreseeing its consequences. Multan’s political and religious dynamics in the medieval era were intricately intertwined with the political, moral, and financial economy as the economic, political, and multicultural religious dynamics were in deep nexus.

The Tri-Lobed Disc in the Tomb of Sabu and the Basins at the Sun Temple Were for Beer

We propose that the Tri-Lobed Disc excavated from the Tomb of Prince Sabu (about 3000 BC, First Dynasty) was used in brewing beer as a mash rake to mix and even out the mixture of grains and hot water in a fairly big mash tun. Two observations which support this idea are presented in Section 1, and why the Disc works efficiently in mashing is explained in Section 2. We also propose in Section 3 our idea about how the Tri-Lobed Disc was made, and actually made its metal model to experiment and observe the flow around the Disc. About a would-be big “royal” mash tun of Prince Sabu is discussed in Section 4, and as a by-product of searching for any remains of ancient Egyptian mash tuns, we uncover in Section 5 that the large basins at the Sun Temple of Nyuserre (about 2400 BC, Fifth Dynasty) were such remains for ritual beer brewing. This reinterpretation succeeds in explaining almost all of their functions.

Foundation features investigation of a heritage structure in India through noninvasive and invasive techniques

Investigation of the foundation system of the heritage site is a challenging task. The heritage site in the present study is Sun temple, Konark. The temple is a 700–800 years old stone masonry structure and world heritage site in the Indian state of Odisha. The investigation of the foundation details, i.e., type, depth, and horizontal extent, along with the soil layering below and around the temple premises, involves non-invasive and invasive techniques. The shielded and unshielded Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) antenna, with a central frequency of 250 MHz & 500 MHz, and 100 MHz, are used for non-invasive investigation. In addition, invasive investigation, i.e., drilling at the top of the platform, at the plinth level, collection of samples, and characterization are performed to determine the soil layering below and around the temple premises. The GPR radargrams of the layering system corroborated with the bore logs obtained by performing the invasive investigation. The non-invasive and invasive study establishes the foundation system as a block type having a depth of 10.5 m from the top of the temple platform. The study demonstrates the efficacy of GPR as a support system for conventional invasive techniques. The paper in detail presents the GPR investigations, their inferences, invasive testing, and the corroboration of the non-invasive and invasive tests.

Neotectonic activity along the Odisha coast, India: Implications for the collapse of the Konark Sun temple and extinction of the ancient River Chandrabhaga

Neotectonic activity along the Odisha coast, India: Implications for the collapse of the Konark Sun temple and extinction of the ancient River Chandrabhaga

Martanda Sun Temple, Exploring its Historical Aspects

Martanda Sun Temple, Exploring its Historical Aspects

Unpublished Non-Royal Statue of Wrirn(y) at Beni-Suief Museum (No. 1629)

This article is dedicated to the publication of a statue of non-royal Wrirny, who served as the sun temple priest for both King Userkaf and Neferirkare during the Fifth Dynasty. He was a great high official whose Userkaf permitted him to carve two tombs, one of them at Saqqara D20 and the other at Sheikh Said No. 25. He subsequently became the overseer of both kings Userkaf and Neferirkare's solar temples. Wrirny had worked as supervisor of the king's treasury in addition to his job as priest of the solar-temple, according to some inscription on the front of his right leg. Mariette discovered the statue in tomb D20 in Saqqara necropolis and he had pointed out that Wrirny had had four statues but only two are known: one in standing stance, which the authors will publish, and the other in EG CG172. All of them are sculpted between the mid-half and end of the Fifth Dynasty. All of these statutes will aid authors in publishing and clarifying the statue style that was followed toward the end of the Fifth Dynasty by non-royal artists. The authors will publish this statue based on the style of hair wig, kilt, and facial features and at the end, it may be deduced that this statue of Wrirny dates from the end of the Fifth Dynasty, Old Kingdom (2700-2200 BC).

A STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE IN GUJARAT FROM PAST TO PRESENT

This research aims to focus upon the architecture of Gujarat from past till present times, here the researcher will give the combined information regarding traditional architectural forms of constructing the buildings, palaces, markets, schools and other important places where local people lived in ancient era. The phases of development from past to present times, in which creativity, imagination and culture mattered equally as climate and materials used. Different monuments such as Rani Ki Vav, Sun temple, Jhulta Minarets, Sidi Saiyyed mosque and others are discussed from past, while Sabarmati Riverfront, Statue of Unity, modern materials and homes are elaborated by the researcher. In the 20th century the classical architecture was replaced by modern and contemporary architecture. One while talking about the modern architecture of Ahmedabad the capital of Gujarat can never do without mentioning the works of Ar. B.V. Doshi the father of modern architecture.

On the Antichambre carrée and the Sed-festival: Re-examining the issue

The present paper deals with the interpretation of the antichambre carrée, the room that constitutes a typical component of the ‘standard’ pyramid temples of the Old Kingdom (from Sahura onwards) and Middle Kingdom. The paper’s main scope is to question the broadly accepted theory on the meaning of the room’s decoration, namely that it evokes the sed-festival, an act of regeneration of the king’s reign. For this purpose, the thorough examination of the antichambre carrée’s decorative layout – assessing all known examples, with the focus not only on figural representations but also on the text – is combined with data obtained from related sources, including the Djoser shrine court within his step-pyramid complex, the Palermo Stone, the depictions of the sedfestival in Niuserra’s sun temple at Abu Ghurab and, finally, the ‘birth cycle’ of Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari. The major conclusion emerging from this comparison is that while the main message of the antichambre carrée is indeed the manifestation of the king’s rule over two parts of the country, the ritual acts on display could have taken place in royal ceremonies other than the sed-festival, the prime candidate being the ‘Appearance of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt’, an event that seems to have commemorated the act of coronation.

Original Anatomy of the Temple: Sun Temple Konark, India

Sun is considered as the life source as it provides energy to the living beings, without it the water cannot remain pure, plants, animals, human beings cannot survive. In Hinduism, sun holds a prominent position. Along with a heavenly object it is considered as a divine object too. The Sun god is called ‘Surya Dev’ in Hindi and in order to glorify the importance of Sun god, Sun temple at Konark was built by the great devotee of Surya Dev, the great king Narasimhadeva I, of the eastern Ganga Dynasty who defeated the Muslim forces of Bengal and drained a powerful Kingdom during his time in Kalinga now known as Odisha. The paper focuses on the glory of the once built, one of the magnificent example of India’s ancient architecture: ‘Sun temple of Konark’. This paper focuses on the original design of the temple, how it was before its destruction. Currently, the temple lies in ruins. The major part of the temple is destroyed. Now we can see only a small portion of it and mostly the foundations of main sanctum are remaining. However, the remaining portion also showcases excellent examples of architecture. The ornamentation of the temple is highly decorated with sculptures motives, reliefs on the walls of the temple. It showcases the details of the original structure with respect to geometry, planning, spatial arrangement within the temple, sculptures of wheel acting as sundials, carvings on the temple and many more.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF PURI DISTRICT OF ODISHA

Puri district is rich in natural resources. The agro-climatic condition and topography are also favourable for exploitation of natural resources. However, the fragmented holding and insufficient irrigational facilities are the main obstacles for agricultural development. Modern methods of farming, adoption of large scale farm mechanism could not pick up to the desired extent due to the fragmentation of land holdings. Agriculture is the predominant sector but has remained stagnant. On the other hand, there is dearth of industries in the district. Though there is the existence of some small scale and cottage industries in the district, these industries are traditional in nature. They are not equipped with advanced technology. Due to lack of mines and mineral ores, no heavy or large scale industry can be established till date. The district famous for its piligrimage has not earned any industrial or commercial importance. The Sun temple of Konark, famous Jagannath temple and Sea beach of Puri are the main tourist attraction places. Thus tourism is an expanding and vibrant sector. But it is not sufficient to absorb the growing population. To absorb the growing population and for improving the standard of living , large number of employment opportunities has to be created with Government encouragement and Mission Shakti Programme initiatives. The analysis of the socio-economic backdrop of the district presents a gloomy scenario. The district is characterized by low income, mass poverty, higher magnitude of unemployment, low human and social development. The district still primarily depends upon agriculture for livelihood and employment. It is industrially backward with nominal industrial units, poor absorption of labour force, and low level of investment and output. Thus, the district needs a significant change in the direction and content through diversification of the structure of its economy. KEY WORDS: Puri district, Population, Agriculture, Employment, industry,

Determinants of word of mouth intention for a World Heritage Site: The case of the Sun Temple in India

This study investigates the role of authenticity, self-congruity and emotional attachment in generating positive Word of Mouth (WOM) intentions in heritage tourism. The 13th-century Sun Temple of Konark (Surya Mandira), in Odisha, India, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-listed World Cultural Heritage Centre was selected as the destination for the study. A survey of residents (n = 627) and tourists (n = 473) was conducted. Statistical analyses indicate that residents and tourists are found to be different from each other in terms of their emotional attachment, existential authenticity, self-congruity, and WOM intentions. This study is one of a few that focused simultaneously on both residents and tourists, even though most of the earlier works neglected the residents’ perspective as they investigated the relationship marketing and customer-based model of authenticity.

A BIM APPROACH FOR THE ANALYSIS OF AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENT

Abstract. In 2010 an Italian team started new on-field investigations in the area of the Sun Temple of Niuserra, 6 km south of the pyramids of Giza. The archaeological research was planned to re-examine the monument after its discovery in 1898. The work was mainly aimed at a general evaluation of the archaeological structures, still visible, in order to establish an updated plan of the temple. More than 100 scans and several 3D models by close-range photogrammetry have been acquired, processed and integrated to virtually reconstruct the archaeological area.To manage all available 3D datasets, allowing to propose new hypothesis about the monument, a BIM has been developed. Thanks to this approach different categories of environmental and technological objects have been created and analysed. The paper deals with the recent achievements, especially regarding the hierarchical conceptualisation of the architectural components. In particular, the contribution dwells on the analysis of the monument starting from the identification of a parametric library built on the semantic decomposition of the 3D replica.