Also known as ‘Konaditya’ , Konark is one of the most famous and visited spiritual point known for the enchanting Sun temple and its archaeological grandeur. Surrounded by palm and casuarinas, the small city in Puri also offers a picturesque view of the beach nearby. One can also treat ones senses with the classical forms of Indian dance in the Konark Dance Festival with Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kathak and many more classical forms. It is a famous festival attracting tourists from far and wide. Several celebrated dancers perform during the festival. It reflects the great diversity and heritage of Indian dance forms. It is an experience to witness this festival.
Major attractions of Konark
Sun Temple
Counted among seven wonders of India, Sun temple was built by King Narsimhadeva I. Also called as ‘Black Pagoda’ , the temple is known for its architectural beauty and sculpture work. Dedicated to Sun God, the temple has been designed as a chariot with twenty four wheels with elaborated carvings and inscriptions of women figure, animals and birds.
Ramachandi Temple
Situated 8 km from the Sun temple, Ramachandi temple is dedicated to goddess Ramachandi. The temple is a beautiful picnic spot with a beach besides it and offers a picturesque site with a pleasant and sacred ambiance. The graceful idol of goddess sits on a lotus inside the temple. The temple is among the sacred Shakti pithas in Puri.
Archaeological Site Museum
The archaeological site museum displays a variety of artifacts from the year 1968 related to the Sun temple. The museum houses antiquities, paintings, manuscripts and sculptures of Sun temple. It also houses a gallery which is divided into four parts exhibiting more than 260 works.
Kuruma
Located 8 km south-east from the Sun temple, Kuruma is a Buddhist site. The place is known for peace and serenity. The small village has a Buddhist monastery housing images of Lord Buddha wearing a beautiful crown and a beautifully carved necklace. Besides the Buddha image, the other two images found inside the now-abandoned monastery are named ‘Heruka’ and ‘Yama’ by local people.
Shopping in Konark
Explore the markets for beautiful handicrafts, sculptures of Hindu Gods and goddess, Patta paintings and items made of wood and stone.
How to reach
Bhubaneswar airport is the nearest airport for Konark nearly 64 km from it while nearest railway station in Puri about 35 km from small city. Konark is well-connected via roads.
One of our destination expert will be in touch with you to plan an exceptional holiday for you...
The arrangement of our trip was so perfectly done, that i could not find even a single fault or drawback for which i could provide a suggestion. We are so much impressed and touched by the hospitality and services provided. To be frank, we have already started to plan for our next holiday, may be sometime in the end of the year. We will get back to you soon :-) Thanks again Exceptional Escapes.....you guys are truly EXCEPTIONAL!!!! -
The trip in general has been exceptional
The driver was a sweetheart. Always bringing me something to eat or drink and also always carrying a beautiful smile -
Airport Representative was very Good Tour & Guide Services was very Good Ground Services was excellent Hotel Services was excellent -
Generally all are good except that in shimla. Silverine hotel is not a suitable hotel for elderly people as they need to walk up and downhill to the hotel….though the place is ideal for shoppers -
Thank you so very much for going above and beyond to ensure that we had a wonderful trip. I have been telling everyone about your hospitality. I truly had a great time and I especially am thankful for all your organizing and to take time to show us your family and invite us to your home. You have a beautiful family and I think Choti (your little sister) is so adorable -
Hi Gaurav, thanks for following up and for all your efforts in making all the necessary arrangements for my trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. A few suggestions on how you might improve your services for future bookings -
Many thanks for putting together a wonderful and memorable vacation for us. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We did not find anything lacking from your side. It was our first visit to India and it seems like we are already planning to be back. The pace was hectic so we did not find much time to visit the local markets which we will have to make up next time -
We reached home safely on Sunday morning (USA time) and slept most of the day. I cannot thank you enough for all your help and efforts in making our trip such a wonderful success. I will never forget the experiences we had and fun time we enjoyed all throughout the trip. I will send you pictures soon.....'not to worry!!!' -
We waited almost two years to meet again and it was well worth it. Everybody had a fantastic time and loved every moment of it. Your friend speaks very good English now and we all wish her well in the future. It seems that shopping with your friend was the highlight of the trip, the ladies would not stop talking about it -
