The 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda) was built in Orissa with red sandstone (Khandolite) and black granite. It was built by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.
The temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god, and is heavily decorated with stone carving. The entire complex was designed in the form of a huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels.
The entrance is guarded by two giant lions which are each shown crushing a war elephant. This symbolises the supremacy of the Brahmin Hinduism (lion) over the Buddhism (elephant). Each elephant in turn lies on top of a human body. The temple symbolizes the majestic stride of the Sun god. At the entrance of the temple is a Nata Mandir. This is where the temple dancers used to perform dances in homage to the Sun god. All around the temple, there are various floral and geometric patterns. There are human, divine and semi-divine figures in sensuous poses also. The poses contain couples in various amorous poses, and are derived from the Kama Sutra. The temple is now partly in ruins, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man."
