Context

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has taken up the complete solarisation of Konark Sun Temple and Konark town in Odisha.

About

About Scheme:

• The scheme plans to set up the 10-MW grid-connected solar project and various solar off-grid applications such as solar trees, solar drinking water kiosks, and off-grid solar power plants with battery storage,
• It is not just the temple; even the Konark town will be covered as part of the scheme.
• The implementation of this project will be done by the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA)
• Also, 100% central financial assistance of around 25 crores from the Government of India through the MNRE.

About Konark Sun Temple:

• The temple is a World Heritage Site is situated in the eastern state of Odisha and is a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God temple.
• The alignment of the Sun Temple is in the east-west direction.
• Great poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: “Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.”
• The main Temple was called by European sailors "The Black Pagoda" as it formed an important landmark for them in their coastal voyage.
• It forms part of the golden triangle of Odisha, along with Puri and Bhubaneswar, and attracts tourists, pilgrims, and history and art lovers.
• It was built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty from 1238-1250 CE.
• The Sun temple belongs to the Kalinga School of Indian Temples.
• Its architecture has all the defining elements of the Kalinga architecture. It includes:

• • Shikhara (crown)
  • Jagmohana (audience hall)
  • Natmandir (dance hall)
  • Vimana (tower)

• In Kalinga Architecture, basically a temple is made in two parts, a tower and a hall.

• • The tower is called deula
  • The hall is called jagmohan.

• The walls of both the deul and the jagmohan are lavishly sculpted with architectural motifs and a profusion of figures.
• The most repeated form is the horseshoe shape, which has come from the earliest times, starting with the large windows of the chaitya-grihas.
• Examples of Kalinga architecture:

• • Rajarani temple (Bhubaneshwar)
  • Jagannath Temple, Puri