The Puranic passages тАШthus support that three forms of Surya were worshipped at three places, i.e. rising Sun at Sutira/Mundira/ Udayachala, the mid-day Sun at Kalapriya, and the setting Surya at asthana/Mitravana. Mulasthana is obviously identical with Multan, here Samba erected the first temple in honour of Surya. V.V. Mirashi identified Kalapriya with modern Kalpi, situated on the bank of the Yamuna river. He suggests that Kalapriyanatha,mentioned in the plays of Bhavabhuti could be the Sungod of Kalpi. The courtyard ofthe temple of Kalapriya is also mentioned in the Cambay plates of Rashtrakuta King Govinda III. It may be suggested that Mundira, Sutira and Udayachala of the puranas could be close to or identical with the site of Konark. Udaychala ofthe Varaha purana denotes the mythical mountain of Sun rise. Sutira of the Bhavisya Purana literally means тАШbeautiful shoreтАЩ, and as Mundira is another name of Sutira, both the places may be considered identical with Konark, located very near, the shore of the Bay of
Bengal.
The statement of the Skanda purana that the Sun god Mundirasvamin remains in the morning at Gangasagar Sangama should not be confused with the mouth of the Ganga. The Padma Purana mentions Ganga-sagara sangama near Purusottamakshetra or Puri. It may be the place where the river Chandrabhaga falls into the sea. The Oriya Ramayana ofBalaram Das (16th century) mentions Chandrabhaga Sangama tirtha, which may be located near the site of Konark. The Samba purana in Chapter 43, explains the term Mundira (anena munditah sarve tena mundira uchnyate). This chapter is generally considered to be a later addition. It speaks of the Sun god Mundira as the presiding deity of Tapovana.
The Purana extols the merit of worshipping the rising Sun there. Those, who see the rising Sungod Bhanu will attain salvation, those who see the Sungod Mundira early in the morning will remain free from fear (bhaya), misery (soka) and illness (roga). According to the Samba purana the Sun god Mundira, installed in the Tapovana, was located on the shore ofthe salt ocean. The Purana gives vivid description ofthe Sunrise; how the earth, sea and the sky became red with the ray ofthe rising Sun, which appeared in two forms-one remaining in the ocean and the other shining in the sky. Vaivasvata Manu recovered the deity from the ocean and built a temple for him.
Further, it is said that the image of the Sun god, constructed by Visvakarman, was first placed in the Himalaya being successively carried by rivers such as Chandrabhaga, Vipasa, Satadru, Yamuna Jannhavi (the Ganga) and Modaganga (Mahanadi) reached the salt ocean. The Samba purana is silent about Konark, but the Tapovana, also called Mitra Vana. Ravi Ksetra and Surya Ksetra, said to be situated on the shore of the salt ocean may be considered identical with the modern site of Konark. The Brihat Kathakosa by Harisena (10th century) mentions Mundira, Kalapriya and Mulasthana as three important centers of Sunworship and it places Mudirasvami on the Purva Varidhi or the Eastern ocean. The Sun god Mundira was evidently worshipped at the sea shore near Konark. It is probable that in a later period Mundira or Mundirasvamim was replaced by Konark or Konaditya. In general, the Puranas are assigned to the Gupta period (4th - 6th century) but additions were made in later periods and it is difficult to be precise about the dates of different chapters. R.C. Hazra, well known authority on the Sanskrit puranas assigned the oldest part of the Samba Purana between 500-800 A.D. and as the three famous centers of Sun worship such as Mundira, Kalapriya and Mitravana are mentioned in this section, it seems probable that the site of Mundira was known by that period. By the middle of the 10th century, as the evidence of the Brihat Kathakosa shows Mundirasvemin, the Sun god, was worshipped in the shore of the eastern sea. In the absence of any archaeological excavation at Konark, the antiquity and culture sequence ofthe site is not known. It is believed that the site was known to Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.) as Kanagara.
The sanctity of Konark, prior to the Sun temple built by king Narasimha-I, is substantiated by both literary and archaeological evidence. The Arab geographers such a Abul Faraj (9th century) and Gardizi (11th century) refer to the worshipper of the Sun and a famous Sun temple which may refer to the Surya Deula ofKonark, Albruni (11th century) in his account of India, mentions Arkutirtha, the land of Uwaryahar and
Urdabishau on the borders of the sea. The reference is evidently to the Arkatirtha or Konark of the Odra country. The Mitaksara of Vijnanesvara (1080-1199 A.D.), mentions Bhaskara Ksetra and P.V. Kane identifies it with Konark. The traditions of Orissa, recorded in the Madala Panji attributes the construction of a Sun temple at Konark to Purandara Kesari of the Kesari dynasty who may be identical with the
Somavamsi king, Puranjaya (C. 1085-1100 A.D.). Sthala Mahatmyas on Konark With the construction of the Sun temple by Narasimha-I, several texts seem to have been composed to highlight the religious importance.
These were called Ksetramahatmyas or Sthalamahatmyas i.e. glorification of the place. For greater authenticity, some ofthe mahatmyas are incorporated in the well known Puranas. The Samba Purana, an Upapurana in Sanskrit, is an important text on Sun-worship. The work, owever, does not specifically mention Konark. The text gives the traditional story of Samba and erection of the first Sun temple at Mitravana on the bank of Chandrabhaga (Chenab) in the Punjab. The Samha purana, however, in the interpolated chapters 42-43, mentions Tapovana on theshore of the salt ocean. It is considered highly meritorious to worship Sungod Mundira in the morning. In the interpolated chapter Tapovana is also designated as Ravi ksetra, Surya Ksetra and Mitra Vana. Its sanctity was even greater than that of Mitravanu of the Punjab. It is said that Vaivasvata Manu had built the temple for the Sun god, and Samba, did not construct the temple of Mundira but merely visited the place.
The Brahma Purana, contains Ksetra Mahatmnyas of onoditya is found in the twenty-eight chapter. The Ksetra of Konaditya, is located in the Odradesa on the shore of the Southern sea. The text refers to the mode ofworship which include bath in the sea, pradakshina ofthe temple for three times, and worship of Konark with puspe, dhupe, dipa, naivedya, dandavata, pranipata etc. The Brahma purana uses both Konaditya and Konark, indicating its popular use. In the Indian traditions the Sun god is known by various names such as Aditya, Savita, Surya, Mihira, Arka,Prabhakara, Marttanda, Bhaskara, Bhanu, Chitrabhanu, Divakara and Ravi. Hence Konaditya and Konark of the Brahma purana denote thesame deity. Among the festivals celebrated in honour of Konaditya, the Brahmapurana destribes the rites of Magha Saptami performed on the 7th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magha and Madana Bhanjika in the bright half of the month of Chaitra. The Brahmapurana recommends journey to the ksetra of konadity on the occasion of Ayana, Uithapana, Samkranti Uttarayana, Ravi vara, Septami tithi, and during festivals in order to attain Suryaloke. The text mentions Ramesvara on the shore ofthe ocean, and one should worship him after bath in the mahodadhi (sea). The Konaditya ksetra mahatmaya of the Brahma purana seems to have been written in the 13th century as there is a direct reference to the
Sun temple visited by the pilgrims. The Kapila Samhita, a later Orissan text, describes four ksetras of Krisna, (Purussotama Kshetra), Arka (konark), Parvati (Jaipura), and Hara (enshrined in Ekamra-Bhubaneswar). The text seems to have been composed in the 15th century. The Kapila Samhita shows that the Maitreyavana or Konark was in a flourishing condition as an important tirtha ofthe Hindu world. The entire sixth chapter of the Kapila Samihta is devoted to the description of the Ksetra of Konark. It gives the story of Samba in a shorter form than is to be found in the Samba-Purana.
Samba worshipped Surya at Maitreyavana (identified with Konark) for twelve years and was cured of his leprosy. After giving this legend, the Kapila Samhita speaks of the glory and sanctity of the ksetra. Those who behold the Sun-god at Ravi ksetra with devotion on a Sunday, would go to the realm of the Sun. Those who worship Bhaskara there with devotion, would become immediately sinless and their cherished desires would be fulfilled. It is evident from the Kapila Samihta that car festival was celebrated at Konark. It also refers to other sacred spots in the ksetra, such as Mangala tirtha, Salmali Bhanda, Surya Ganga, the Sea, Ramesvara Siva, the river Chandrabhaga and the Arka vata. Ofthese,the first two were the sacred tanks where pilgrims were enjoined to take their ceremonial bath. The Surya samuchaya mentions the nanavakya (text to be uttered before taking the bath) at mangala tirtha and recommends that, after bathing, one should pay homage to the form of Siva named Mangalesvara. The shrine of Ramesvara, mentioned in the Kapila Samhita is of much earlier date, for its finds mention in the Brahmapurana. The Chandrabhaga and the Arka-vata are also mentioned in the Oriya Mahabharata of Sarala Das. The Surya Ganga of the Kapila Samhita was probably another name of the river Chandrabhaga which flowed near the temple. This may be inferred from Gadadhara RajaguruтАЩs Gadadhara Paddhati, which on the basis of Bhavisya-purana, says that any stream lying to the east of a Sun-temple should be known as the Surya Ganga.
The importance of Konark as a celebrated centre of Sun worship was known in other parts of India. The Pramana Pallava, a manuscript discovered from Mirthila (Bihar) and ascribed to Narasimha (13th century) mentions Konark, along with other notable tirthas such as Prayag, Gaya, Purusottam, etc. The sanctity of Konark is also mentioned in several later texts such as Tirtha Chintamani of Vachaspati Misra (15th
century), Tirthasara of Nrismha Prasad (1490-1515) and Purusottam of Raghunandana (16th century). In 1815 Colonel Colin Mackenzie, collected from Orissa a manuscript named Konarka ksetra mahatmya. It seems to be part of a larger text which is not available in the complete form. It quotes the legend of Samba in Oriya. It quotes passages from the Brahma Purana, Samba Purana and Padma Purana to emphasize the religious importance ofKonark. The sacred complex of Konark is said to be five krosa (10 miles) in extent and it had shrines of eight Sambhus and eight chandis. W.W. Hunter has mentioned two texts relating to Konark. The Arka Mahatmya, a Sanskrit text is attributed to be Gopal Bhanja, who was a contemporary of king Narasimha Dev. The work, according to Hunter, describes the sanctity and building of the temple.
Both the texts are not available now for study. Another unpublished work, entitled Arka Ksetra Mahatmya, is assigned to the Ganga period, but the same also is not available now. It appeared that after the thirteenth century, several ksetra Matmyas were composed to glorify the sanctity of Konark. In the later texts the Samba legend came to be associated with the temple obviously to add to the sanctity ofthe place. As the Mitravana was considered to be the original seat of the Sun-god (Adyam Sthanam), attempts were made to transplant the Samba legend to other centers of
Sun-worship. Samba legend is associated with Prabhasa ksetra in Gujarat. At Jhallar Patan in Rajasthan a river has been named handrabhaga
and on its bank stands a Sun temple belonging to the 10th century. A fair is held there in honour of Surya. This also happened in the case of Konark. As the original temple built by Samba was situated near the Chandrabhaga river, a river flowing near the Konark temple was also named Chandrabhaga. In the present state of our knowledge we cannot be certain as the when the Samba legend came to be associated with Konark. We presume that it happened when Konark became popular with the decline of the original Mitravana of the Punjab. The Samba Purana in its chapters 42- 43 refers to the Tapovana of the Sun-god on the sea shore and not on the bank of the Chandrabhaga river. In the Purana, we are told that Samba did not construct the temple for Mundira, but merely visited the place, which had long been in existence.
The Brahma Purana in its chapters dealing with the ksetra of Konaditya, however, describes Mitravana (identical with Konark) as being situated on the bank of the Chandrasarit with verses borrowed from the Samba Purana. This indicates that by this time Mitravana had come to be located in Orissa. The Hitopadesa, said to have been composed by Narayana Pandita (c 14th,Century A.D.) refers to the Chandrabhaga in connection with the expeditions of king Rukmangada of Kalinga visaya. The Kapila Samhita associates the Samba legend with Maitreyavana or Konarka; the text also locates the Chandrabhaga in the ksetra of Konarka. According to SaralaтАЩs Mahabharata, Narada^advised Samba to worship the Sun god at Konark Tirtha.
From this it is evident that by the 15th century the Samba legend was already well-associated with Konark. The Brahmanda Purana a late Sanskrit text also locates Chandrabhaga at Konark and mentions that Samba propitiated Surya there. Thus Konark came to be known as Mitravana and replaced the sanctity and glory ofthe original Mitravana. The great Sun temple is now in ruins. Yet the people ofOrissa,
celebrate once in a year the Magha Saptami festival at the Chandrabhaga and visit the temple as pilgrims did in the past, reminding us how the temple existed eight hundred years ago.