The Wheels Of Time: Konark
The Vedanta Kesari|July 2018

During the colonial craze in the seventeenth century, the Portuguese sailed to India desiring a slice of the rich pie. They had their Man o’ War ships in which they sailed along every coast, terrorizing costal cities and plundering them. Capturing Goa gave them immense self-confidence and they sailed along the coast till they came to Odisha in the Bay of Bengal.

Usha Kris
The Wheels Of Time: Konark

For reasons they could not fathom, all the compasses went awry swinging wildly as if possessed. As this occurrence was centered within a specific radius, they looked inland for the cause. A tall structure that the ‘natives’ had built dominated the landscape. It was the sky-piercing shikara of the Sun temple in Konark. This structure seemed to have a demonic effect on navigation. The captain ordered the destruction of the steeple. The 270 foot vimanam built around 1240 CE was thus lost forever; the glorious temple lay ruined. Even today, the pillars and the girders that supported the temple lay strewn around in a pointless existence.

Why did this steeple cause their compasses to behave in this crazy manner? How did the people of the land react when their beloved temple was shattered? Who was ruling the land at that time?

The main deity of Konark, Surya, was magically suspended between the powerful iron beams making it an engineering marvel as well as a spectacular vision. It was believed to be a marvel of magnetism. The placement of a 52 ton magnet below the shikara and an equally strong magnet at the bottom with iron girders after every two slabs of stone made it possible for the gigantic Surya to appear suspended.

In my mind’s eye, I saw the massive temple doors open to the first rays of the sun falling on Surya accompanied by resounding Vedic chants and pealing bells. It would have been like vishvaroopa darshanam leaving the devotee mesmerized. It seemed to represent the universe with the sun in space. It took an advanced knowledge of astronomy, architecture and construction, not to mention sculpture, metallurgy and physics, something unimaginable in the world during the thirteenth century, to build the Konark temple. It stands to reason that this very same magnet led the navigating compasses askew and made the mindless destruction a necessity for the ignorant and mercenary sailors.

Bu hikaye The Vedanta Kesari dergisinin July 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Vedanta Kesari dergisinin July 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE VEDANTA KESARI DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi
The Vedanta Kesari

Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi

At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.

time-read
5 dak  |
February 2023
Gadai and the Monks
The Vedanta Kesari

Gadai and the Monks

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

time-read
2 dak  |
February 2023
Chintayo momo maanosho Hori...
The Vedanta Kesari

Chintayo momo maanosho Hori...

Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs.

time-read
4 dak  |
February 2023
The Vedanta Vaccine
The Vedanta Kesari

The Vedanta Vaccine

The world is still struggling under the impact of the pandemic due to Covid-19 for the last three years.

time-read
5 dak  |
February 2023
Chandrakirti's Chariot: Self in Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta
The Vedanta Kesari

Chandrakirti's Chariot: Self in Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta

The goal in Advaita Vedanta is the cessation of suffering and the attainment of true fulfillment. Suffering, according to this school, is due to ignorance of the true nature of the self and consequent erroneous identification with the body-mind.

time-read
10+ dak  |
February 2023
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
The Vedanta Kesari

Reminiscences of Sargachhi

Question: यद्यदाचरतत श्रेष्ठसतत्तदरेवरेतरो जनिः। ‘Whatever a superior person does, others do the same thing!’ (Gita 3:21) – What does this statement mean?

time-read
6 dak  |
February 2023
THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL
The Vedanta Kesari

THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

time-read
2 dak  |
October 2022
Bards of Guruvayur: Vilwamangalam II
The Vedanta Kesari

Bards of Guruvayur: Vilwamangalam II

Saints of India

time-read
10+ dak  |
October 2022
In the Universal Mother’s Divine Playground
The Vedanta Kesari

In the Universal Mother’s Divine Playground

Swami Vivekananda never taught the worship of Mother Kali. In a letter to Mary Hale he writes, “Kali worship is not a necessary step in any religion.

time-read
10+ dak  |
October 2022
Swami Vivekananda: A Sportsman Par Excellence
The Vedanta Kesari

Swami Vivekananda: A Sportsman Par Excellence

In various books and articles, Swami Vivekananda has been called a spiritual leader, a prophet, a patriot, a social reformer, a philosopher, a yogi, a writer, an orator, an educationist, a musician, and so on.

time-read
6 dak  |
October 2022