From Puri one can visit the World Heritage Monument - Konark Temple, 30 K.M. on Marine Drive. One can enjoy the natural beauty of the Marine Drive while driving. On the way, there are a few scenic spots with Temples like Beleswar (14 Km) and Ramachandi. While driving from Puri you can cross Toshali sands, a luxurious hotel, and a modern ethinic restaurant Phulpatna, a craft centre for stone images at Chaitana.
Approching Konark one can see the beauty of the sea at Chandrabhaga, which is regarded as Tirtha also. Here the Sunrise is very beautiful and enchanting. This is 3 Km from Konark. Now you can enter in the marvels of time and space, the elegant store house of art and architecture- The Sun Temple of Konark. The entrance ticket may be purchases (Rs. 5/- per Indians and US $ 5 for foreigners) from ASI ticket Booth. On Friday it is free entrance. Konark in ancient times is a celebrated centre for Sun worship. Konark as Arka Kshaetra finds mention in Sambha Puran. Samba, the son of Srikrishna as the Puranic story goes, worshiped the Sun here and installed the Image and got cured from Leprosy. It has a long tradition of Sun worship interwoven with many legends and stories. The gigantic present temple built by the Ganga King Langula Narsimha Deva (in 13th Century AD). Many foreign travellers like Ibn Batuta, Albaruni, Percy Brown, General Kitto etc., mention the story of Konark Temple. It was only in the early 20th century the Temple was recovered and under taken for its conservation. The spectacular style of this huge Temple is a Chariot like style with 24 wheels and seven horses. The Temple rests on a high platform and then the main Deula i.e. Vimana followed by Jagamohan. The Viman or main deula is supposed to be the tallest among the Temples of Orissa (214 ft in hight) and only the base portion is left now. The Jagamohan or Mukhasala now exists with its all its strength and fullness. The Vimana and Jagamohan built in pancharatha style decorated inch by inch, as if a poem in stone. A pillared natamandira is seen apart from the main Temple creating the impression of a path way for the Chariot.
Konark Temple is a repository of art forms. Indian art flowered here and reached its highest water mark. It is a wonder for the onlookers. The exquisitely-covered Temple was conceived to be a total picture of the society and therefore the walls have sculpture of awe inspiring beauty too, scenes of love and war, trade3 and court transactions, hunting, sages teaching, social cultures, religious icons, dancers and damsels, mythical figures of the elephants holding aloft a soldier or the lions guarding the entrance of the temple or the enraged soldier of war, are testimony to the glory of Orissa’s past, frozen for a moment on the shore of time. Since, it represents every aspect of life, a great part of the temple has been embellished with erotic images. The walls of the temple have flagrantly erotic themes with larger-than-life size figures of amorous couples. Why this temple decorated with such sculptural art, - is needed to explain separately, of course the temples at Khajuraho also have such figures. It is the impact of fine or ‘Kala’ at the shortest version, it can be said. To move around the temple of least an hour is required at the least, but the art connoisseur can spend days together to see and feel the beauty of this World Heritage Monument. Here every year Konark Festival is organised by ORISSA TOURISM in the month of December (1st to 5th). From here one can also plan for the other nearby sites like Kuruma (5 Km), a Bhuddhist site, Kakatpur, famous for Goddess Mangala (30 Km), Astarang (for beach and Fish lending centre) and Chaurasi for Varahi temple (20Km) etc. But generally the Tourist proceeds back to Puri after Konark.
