ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING OF KONARK SUN TEMPLE: A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FROM ANCIENT INDIA

Abstract

The Konark Sun Temple, built in the 13th century during the reign of King Narasimhadeva I (Bahinipati, Biswal, Suar, 2024) in Odisha, India, stands as a magnificent example of ancient architectural and engineering excellence with its current esteemed status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). The temple, shaped like a giant chariot dedicated to the Sun God, symbolizes the deep connection between nature and culture. Ancient artisans demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship in stone carving, lifting heavy stone blocks, and aligning the temple to capture the sun’s rays directly onto the deity’s idol during specific times of the year. The present paper explores the sustainable construction techniques used in building the temple and explains how advanced astronomical knowledge has been used, which we are ignoring in our modern architecture. The investigator uses secondary data sources, like articles published in reputed journals, books, and research studies. The present study is qualitative in nature.