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After kalapahad
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The most popular theory about the root of the fall of
Konark temple rests with the Kalapahad. According to the
history of Orissa, Kalapahad invaded Orissa in 1508. He
destroyed Konark temple, as well as a number of Hindu
temples in Orissa. The Madala Panji of Puri Jagannath
temple describes how Kalapahad attacked Orissa in 1568.
Including Konark temple, he broke most of the images in
most of the Hindu temples in Orissa. Though it was
impossible to break the Sun temple of Konark, the stone
walls of which are of 20 to 25 feet (7.6 m) thick, he
somehow managed to displace the Dadhinauti (Arch stone)
and thus made a way for the temple to collapse. He also
broke most of the images and other side temples of
Konark. Due to displacement of the Dadhinauti, the
temple gradually collapsed and the roof of the Mukasala
was also damaged, due to the stones falling down from
the temple top.
Consequently, Orissa came under Muslim control in 1568.
There were constant attempts to destroy the Hindu
temples. The Pandas of Puri, to save the sanctity of the
Puri temple, took away the Lord Jagannath from the
Srimandir and kept the image in a secret place.
Similarly, it is said that the Pandas of Konark took
away the presiding deity of the Sun temple and buried it
under the sand for years.
Latter on the image was
said to have been removed to Puri and kept in the temple
of Indra, in the compound of the Puri Jagannath temple. |
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According to others, the Puja image of the Konark temple
is yet to be discovered. But others hold the view that
the Sun image now kept in the National Museum of Delhi
was the presiding deity of the Konark Sun temple.
However, the Sun worship in the Konark temple was ended
upon the removal of the image from the temple. This
resulted in the end of pilgrimages to Konark. The port
at Konark was also closed, due to pirate attacks. Konark
was as glorious a city for Sun worship as it was for
commercial activities, but after the cessation of these
activities, Konark became deserted and was left to
develop as a dense forest for years.
In 1626 the then king of Khurda, Raja Narasimha Dev,
son of Purusottam Dev, took away the Sun image to Puri
along with two other moving deities - Sun and Moon. Now
they are found in a temple in the compound of Puri
Jagannath temple. |
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As described earlier there was a big block of stone
called Navagraha Paata placed in front of the Mukhasala.
The then king of Khurda removed the block. The king had
taken away many sculptured stones from Konark and
constructed some portions of Puri temple with them.
During Marahatta's time the outer compound wall of the
Puri temple was constructed of stones from Konark
temple. |
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It is reported that among all the temples the Naata
Mandir or the Dancing hall of Konark was in its original
form for the longest period, and that it was broken
intentionally since it was considered an unnecessary
structure during the Marahata administration. |
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In the year 1779, a Marhatta Sadhu had taken away
the Arun Pillar from Konark and put it in front of
the Lion's Gate of Puri Jagannath temple. Thus by
the end of 18th century Konark lost all its glories
and had been turned to a dense forest. In course of
time, the temple area thus became devoid of people,
covered with dense forest, full of sand, filled with
wild animals and became the abode of pirates. It is
said that even the locals feared to go to Konark in
broad daylight. |
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