The Temple Of the Sun In Kanark

Worldwide, there are over 1.5 dozen of temples dedicated to celestial body, without which there would be no life on earth - the Sun. About 10 temples of the Sun is in India, the rest - in China, Thailand, Pakistan, USA, South America. One of the temple stands on the shores of the Indian state of Orissa sun, in a small village Kanark.

This is not the largest of the temples of the Sun (the largest in South America), and not the oldest (the oldest temple of the Sun is in the territory of modern Pakistan). But the temple in Kanark is probably the most majestic of extant - in fact, many ancient temples have survived in the ruins. It was built in the XIII century and is a huge chariot drawn by horses with 12 wheels, which represents the course of the sun. In the church there are a lot of pictures and sculptures of figures, mostly on erotic theme.

The temple has the shape of a chariot being dragged by seven horses. True, the horse sculptures badly damaged, it is difficult to discern. On the walls of the temple carved out of stone of 12 pairs of huge wheels (equal to the number of months per year), and the whole structure represents the course of the Sun from dawn to dawn, and the movement of life.

Originally the church was much larger and grander, it consisted of 3 buildings. It is preserved to our time Jagamohana Hall (or Hall for receptions) and a dance hall. The main part of the church in which worship was twice preserved Jagamohana, but in the early 19th century it was destroyed by hurricanes and tsunamis, which often occur on the shores of Bay of Bengal. But those buildings that have survived in place of the temple of the sun, amazing courage and beauty of ideas and the extent of its implementation.

The walls of the temples are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting animals, humans, geometric patterns. On the walls of the dance hall carved stone figures of dancing men and women.