THE MAIN TEMPLE - COMPLEX OF KONARK
THE MAIN TEMPLE - COMPLEX OF KONARK
The Sun temple of Konark, enclosed within a spacious compound, consists of the deula, the jagamohana and the natamandira, along the east-west axis. All the structures face the east. The deula and jagamohana forming component parts of one architectural scheme are designed in the form of a monumental chariot of the Sun god. The natamandira is located at a short distance from jagamohana on the east.Platform The deula and the jagamohana stand on a magnificent pitha or platform. To give the impression of a chariot, twenty four wheels, twelve each of north and south, have been carved at intervals on the face of the platform. The chariot is pulled by seven horses, arranged on the eastern stairway ofthe jagamohana, four horses on the south and three in the north.The platform rests on a low upana, the vertical faces ofwhich are relieved with frieze of elephants, whose number is said to exceed 1600, military procession, men and animals carrying supplies, hunting scene, labourer at work, scenes depicting working of food, etc. The platform is, about 4m. in height. The face ofthe platform has five horizontal divisions simulating the five-fold divisions of the bada of a contemporary Orissan temple. The lowest division, the pabhaga 0.9m high, consists of five richly carved mouldings at intervals connected by vertical bands of floral and scroll work.
The lower jangha of the platform is decorated with khakhara mundis and decorative pilasters. The decorative figures include various motifs such as vidalas, alasa kanyas, Naga-Nagi figures etc. The bandhana, above the tala jangha, consists of three mouldings. The vertical bandsjoining the mouldings have niches with male and female figures, standing over flame offire, soldiers, erotic scenes, etc. The upperjangha contains mostly pancharatha pilasters, instead ofmundi designs, and these pilasters are aligned with the khakhara mundis of the lower jangha. The pilasters of the upperjangha depict mithuna figures, female figures in various poses, a royal person killing boar, a soldier in the company of his wife and child, a woman attacked by monkeys, etc. The group compositions in the broad panels, among others, include Narasimha-I worshipping Sivalinga, Jagannatha, Mahisamardini, a king practicing archery, a king on elephant being presented with a giraffe by a group of men, a king about to undertake a journey, a queen in the company of her attendants, and assembly of men inside a pillared pavilion. The disposition ofthe janghas into two unequal parts and absence of any established convertion, provided ample scope to the artists to decorate the platform with a wide variety of scenes and motifs against the honeycombed jail work.
