The Biranchi Narayan Sun Temple, also known as the ''Abode of Viranchinarayana'' or the ''Wooden Konark'', is a

Hindu Temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

located in the town of

Buguda Buguda is a town in the Ghumusara area of Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. Buguda is approximately 70 kilometres from Berhampur, a major city in Odisha. Geography Buguda is located at . It has an average elevation of 84 met ...

Ganjam Ganjam is a town and a notified area council in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. Brahmapur, one of the major city of Odisha is situated in this district. Geography Ganjam is located at in the Ganjam district of Odisha with an ...

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sc ...

. It is the second Surya temple constructed in Odisha, after the famous

Konark Konark is a medium town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from the capital of the state, Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as the ''B ...

Sun Temple.

Construction

The temple was renovated by King Srikara Bhanjadeva in 1790. The presiding deity at the temple is Biranchi Narayan or Surya in the combination of Hindu trinity , whose image was recovered from ruins at Maltigad. The imagery also features a chariot driven by seven horses with one wheel on its left side, with

Aruṇa Aruna ( sa, अरुण ) is the charioteer of Surya (Sun god) in Hinduism. He is the elder brother of Garuda. Aruna and Garuda are the sons of Vedic sage Kashyapa and his wife Vinata, daughter of Prajapati Daksha. His children were Sampati ...

as the chariot's driver. The roof of the temple is constructed on a total of 46 pillars and contains intricate wood designs. Unlike the Konark temple, which faces east, the Birachi Narayan Sun Temple faces west. Consequently, while at Konark sun rays of the rising sun shine on the installed Surya, at the Biranchi Narayan Temple the rays of the setting sun fall on Surya's feet.

Wooden Konark

As per the desire of the king, the main God

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most c ...

of the temple is made in wood. According to a legend, the stone image of the Surya is constructed off the main wooden image of Lord Surya.

Festivals

Ratha Saptami Ratha Saptami or Rathasapthami ( sa, रथसप्तमी or Magha Saptami) is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh day (Saptami) in the bright half (''Shukla Paksha'') of the Hindu month Maagha. It is symbolically represented in the ...

, during the month of

Maagha Maagha (Hindi: माघ ''maagh'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, it's the eleventh month of the year, corresponding to January/February in the Gregorian calendar.Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ''Holida ...

Samba Dashami Samba Dashami is a festival unique to the state of Odisha, India. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the Shukla Paksha of Pausha Māsa or waxing phase of moon in the month of Pausha (December – January) as per traditional Odia calendar. This ...

, during the month of Pausha *Every Sunday,

Sankranti Sankranti ( sa, संक्रान्ति ''saṁkrānti or saṅkramaṇa'') means transmigration of the Sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy. Each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month in the sidereal solar calen ...

References

External links

Buguda temple
at India9.com
Images of Biranchi Narayan
at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Surya temples Hindu temples in Ganjam district 18th-century Hindu temples {{Odisha-hindu-temple-stub