The Eternal Wheels Of Time

[jagannath ananda das]

The beach at Chandrabhaga near Konark is a dull grey blanket when i reach there early in the morning,eyes half shut,mind still on"where-is-my-herbal-tea"mode.

Whatever happened to the famous'East coast' sunrise that i woke up at 5 am for?

The rain.

That is what happened.And so chandrabhaga wears a deserted look,a few early morning types wetting their feet tentatively in the angry waters,creating enough noise to make up for their lack of numbers.

As i walk away from the group towards the fishing hamlet between the narrow road and the sea,i find small groups of fishermen sitting on their haunches,staring at the sea with desperate eyes.'are you not going into the sea,'I ask one of them in hindi.I don't know if he understood my word's,but he follows my hand pointing to the sea,and points towards the sky in return.Both hands up,a sign of despair.

Always majestic

I stand staring at the waves for a few minutes,peacefully blank,unmindful of the cold wind.The sea,in all its dreary tones is still magnetic.As i head back to the bus stand,the sun is just peeping out and the boats standing desolate on the shore suddenly seem to get a life of their own.I turn back and see a few of the fishermen already heading out into the sea.Good luck to them.

By the time i reach the temple at konark,the sun had set.I seem to have a talent for choosing the most dismal days of the year for visiting the most beautiful places in the country-just perfect for that washed-out background in the photographs.Admittedly,no sun is not the best way to visit the Sun Temple.

But for all the dullness in the sky,the temple stands tall and majestic,inspiring awe without any effort.

Therefore,end of rant.

Stones speak

I hire a guide to show me around the temple,eager to know more about those fascinating unverifiable stories that only tourist guides seem to know.He starts of promisingly-the first story i'm told is about when and how the temple was built.

Twelve hundred workmen toiled at it for twelve years.And as a fitting climax,a 12- year old mastercraftsman fixed the kalash at the top of the temple jumped to his death into the sea,protecting the honour of the clan.To this day,the childs sacrifice haunts the temple;no puja has ever been done here.It stands proudly,much of it in ruin as a reminder of the grandeur that was.In all that ruin however,there is a profusion of carving all around the temple,intricate and astonishing in detail.Seeing them,one understands what made Rabindranath Tagore say,"Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man".

Suryas abode

It is believed that the temple was originally constructed right on the shore, till the sea receded a couple of kilometres.European sailors were said to use this black pagoda as a navigational point in the sea.The temple,as is well known,is dedicated to the sun god,Surya,who resides there with his two wives chhaya and sandhya.

Erotic art

The East-West axis of the temple is shaped like a chariot on twelve pairs of immense wheels,the rays of the sun follow the circumference of the temple as the day progresses.

The lower part of the temple walls are carved with images of elephants and horses.Right on top,where the gods anyway reside,are carvings of brahma,vishnu and shiva.The middle part at eye level is full of erotic carvings-man and women in poses of intimacy and togetherness,procreation,recreation.My guide spares no pains to point out the spicier carvings to me-lesbian,women with animal,group sex-see,"he tells me,"all this exsisted in india centuries ago.foreigners take these ideas from us and they make films out of these."

Chalk up one more for Global India.

I want to go back for another round on my own to take in the magificence of it.

Standing in the shadow of the temple,I watch the huge wheel intently.it is almost possible to feel it move,taking you back in time with it all through the centuries.

This is why i aptly call it,"The Eternal Wheels Of Time."

Getting There

Konark is roughly 65 kilometres or an hour and a half away from bhubaneshwar,the nearest airport and large railway station(though puri 35 kilometres away is closer).it is best to hire a car from bhubaneshwar as bus service is irregular or one can simply take a bus from the bus depot in front of the gundica mandir(puri) and take a ride to konark.the way to konark from puri is breathtakingly fantastic.

Other Attractions

Puri with its beautiful beach and Jagannath temple is an hour's drive from konark along the coast.The Ramchandi Temple is a popular picnic spot,only 8 km. from konark.Konark hosts a classical odissi dance festival every winter against the backdrop of the Sun Temple.

Where To Stay

One can find many comfortable guesthouses in puri,mostly on the chakratirtha road in sharp contrast to konark where the only option is the government- run Panthnivas is right apposite the sun temple,though the exterior does not inspire much confidence.Stay in bhubaneshwar or puri and make a day trip to konark.

Try to be there around sunrise or sunset for the incredible awe-inspiring experience.

[Krishnapriya dasi]

sounds like you love this India very much. I have not been to India in this lifetime, as flying in airplanes does not strike me as safe thing to do. Seeing the films of Satyajit Rey moved me deeply-to tears as if a sense of missing a place more familiar to me than 'home'. Do you have a favourite place in India?

[Laksmidevi]

Yes, write! Write! Write for Gurudeva, write for people to become attracted to Lord Krishna and India's heritage.
Laksmidevi

[Michael Richard Owens]

It would be great if you write a book.
Many blessings.

[mangalamata]

very interesting -if you ever write a book I think it would be a good seller--thanks-