As sand is removed from Konark’s Jagamohan, this article explores the Sun Temple’s history, restoration challenges, heritage conservation and future
Anil Dey
Some light of hope is visible at the end of the years of inaction. In the first place, sand should not have been filled up if the authorities understood the corbelling process in which this temple was built. In the second instance, no less a person than Dr. Fielden from OCCROM pronounced 39 years ago that neither the dry-stone wall nor the sand inside was necessary.
But the moot question remains: “What does the public get after all the sand is removed from inside the Jagamohan?”
Jagamohan is the waiting hall for the devotees assembled for a “Darshan” inside the main temple—a curvilinear Rekha Mandir. The “Garva Griha” of the main temple still contains the Ratna Singhasana—the seat of the deity. I have gone there several times from the top opening, until entry that way was stopped by the ASI. After removal of sand and all internal repairs, we get an empty chamber of mighty height and entry into the Garva Griha, where, of course, lies evidence galore of the time past.
The first plinth—the only evidence of a great sculptural past—remains, more damaged due to the irregular porosity of Khondalite stone. The public would like to see the whole temple in its functional past—228 ft. Rekhadeula from G.L. and the four associates.
The problem with the public is that it depends more on legends than real history. The following data are important if we wish to reconstruct history—both tangible and what UNESCO would identify as intangible, yet as important as tangible history.
• 1258 A.D. – Consecration of the temple.
• 1264 A.D. – Death of Narasinghadev-I, the builder of this temple.
• 1568 A.D. – Fall of Mukundadev in the hands of Kalapahada. Removal of the deity by priests to an unknown place and eventually to Jagannath Temple.
• 1607 to 1621 A.D. – Purusottam Dev of the Khurda dynasty. In 1610, the king measured Lingaraj, Puri-Jagannath and Konarka by a stick, which he later converted to hand measurement.
• 1628 A.D. – Fall of Gajasingh in the reign of Narasingha Dev of the Khurda dynasty, after which the annual Rathayatra grant was stopped.
• Orissa Review – July 2011, by Prof. Abhimanyu Dash, chronicled 19 attacks on Puri Jagannath Temple from 798 A.D. to 1881 A.D.
The temple was in working condition for 352 years, a fact supported by the “tell-tell” marks available in the Garva Griha as well as the Ratna Singhasana.
Only the Puri Temple was not targeted. If the deity was brought out of “Patali”, Nava Kalevara done, and even a new temple was built by a Shaivite like Jajati Keshari-I (922–955), why not a Sun Temple at Konarka? Even years later, Kapil Dev (1435–1496), a hardcore Jagannath devotee, built at Bhubaneshwar a Kapileswar Temple for the Shaivites rather than rebuild a new Sun Temple.
It was pure political calculation. Vaishnavites, Shaivites and Shakti cults were fighting amongst themselves for a hold on society. A king offering special favours to anyone out of personal allegiance made things more complicated—it was a fight between the “Haves” and “Have-nots”.
Narasinghadev brought the fighting three onto one table and chose a neutral God like the Sun. Before Narasinghadev, there were only a few Magi Brahmins—exclusively Sun-worshipping. Politically, it was a wrong decision to support the Sun, a minority. Even now, it is a politically wrong decision, as present-day politicians have to count votes for their seats.
But Narasinghadev was a different person—he thought of overall tranquillity in society so that it would make a greater gain for society. But alas, he did not live long after the consecration of the temple.
There are two classes of people who would like the temple to rise in a new form—(A) the copyist and (B) the impressionist.
Category (A) belonged to Padma Vibhushan late Raghunath Mohapatra. I hasten to add that my Trust and INTACH were the first to felicitate Sri Mohapatra on being decorated with the “Padma Vibhushan”. I am one of the greatest admirers of his craftsmanship. He wanted to present an exact copy of Konarka.
To make a copy, a model is necessary, but in the case of Konarka only a piece of the first plinth is available. Even amongst the available friezes, is it possible to present the nudes in that openness? Whereas not presenting that at all is tantamount to deviation from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.3.21), an explanation of which is given by no less a person than a monk of Ramakrishna Mission. It is compared with Atma merging in Paramatma.
Similarly, different friezes—all not erotic, though—bore different Vedic meanings. Those have to be presented in a manner not to offend contemporary social mores.
Even if the whole is available, like the Taj Mahal or the Mona Lisa, copies have never earned the adulation of the original.
Here, I would like to quote Fabri on what he said about Orissa artisans. Fabri spent more than half of his life studying Indian architecture.
“There has never been a copyist in this country, never a mere imitation of other masters’ work; every temple is different, and the variety in sculpture—even of the same theme—is astonishing.”
—Charles Louis Fabri,
History of the Art of Orissa, p. xxiv.
I would never like a great craftsman earning an epithet of “Copyist” only.
(B) Then come the “Impressionists”, of which we, the members of Kalinga Heritage Preservation Trust, belong. We have a harder task. We amalgamate the past with the present. This is what UNESCO thinks of as intangible.
We have drawn hundreds of drawings and repeatedly shown them in public meetings. At last, we are ready; only the sponsors are wanting.
We have approached Modiji and Naveenji for 14 years, to no avail. On 5th July 2025, the present C.M., Mohan Charan Majhi, met me and three of my eminent friends. We discussed for nearly one hour. I kept my book, “Arka Kshetra Konaka”, and a pre-project report before him. He told me that 50 acres of land and money would be no problem—and then silence.
In the last 14 years, I have approached all Associations, domestic and foreign, for crowdfunding, but nobody has opened his tight fist.
I am too old to continue this war and am presently bedridden. If there be fresh warriors, they are welcome.
(This was his last article. He passed away recently. Chairman, Kalinga Heritage Preservation Trust)