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Legend of Konark
Temple |
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Many curious legends are related about the construction
and desertion of the Konark temple. Out of
the mist of legends first is taken form the palm-leaf chronicles,
and the second is current in the neighboring villages. Raja
Narasingha deva, it is in honor of the sun-god. When the stones were
being thrown into the lotus covered pool at the sacred site, they
were swallowed by Raghab fish. This untoward circumstance deeply
distressed dharna (supplication). The goddess, assuming the
shape of an old woman, appeared before him, and having asked him to
take some bhogas, handed him a leaf covered with some Khir,
i.e. confection of rice and milk. Sivai put his hand into
the middle and was scalded, at which the goddess said: - You are
doing just as Siva has been doing in order to build his temple.
The stones are being thrown in the middle and are being
swallowed by the big Raghab fish. They should be thrown in from the sides.” On
hearing this, Sivai Santra had the stones cast in close to the sides
of the pool, and thus gradually built up a foundation upon which the
temple was erected. Another legend runs that for
16 years 1,200 carpenters and boy at home, and when he had grown to
manhood, his mother sent him in search of his father. As a sign by which
the young man might know his father, she gave him the fruit of a
barkoli tree that grew in the courtyard, telling him that
only his father, who alone could name the place from
which it had come. |
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After finishing their day’s work, the masons went away;
but the son worked the whole night, and completed the
porch with surprise this astounding feat and learnt that
the work had been done by the new-comer. |
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They then angrily asked his father if he preferred his
son to all his fellow-workmen; for they said: - "if your
son is allowed to go on in this way, he will soon finish
building the temple; and we will lose not only our daily
bread, but also our lives; for the king will think we
have been neglecting our work." The father then
sorrowfully declared his preference for his
fellow-workers, climbed to the top, where his son was
still working, and hurled him don to the |
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pavement below. But a curse fell on the work, and the porch was left unfinished up to
the final vase. A quaint legend is told about the desertion of the
fane. It is said that a lode-stone of immense size was formerly
lodged in the summit of the great tower, which like Sinbad the
sailor’s rock, had the effect of drawing ashore all vessels passing
near the coast. |
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At last in the time of the Mughal rule, the crew of a ship landed at a distance, and stealing
down the coast, attacked the temple, scaled the tower, and carried off
the lode-stone. The priests, alarmed at this violation of the sanctity
of their shrine, removed the image of the god to Puri, where it has
remained ever since; and from that date the temple became deserted and
went rapidly to ruin. |
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