Konark is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva. The temple is one of the most important Brahman sanctuaries, and is a world heritage site. It takes the form of the chariot of Surya, the sun god, and is heavily decorated with stone carving. The temple is now partly in ruins, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man". Konark is also home to an annual dance festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Orissa, odissi.

Konark beach is a popular tourist destination, though the waters are deceptively calm. Its main attraction lies in its views of the temple. 

Konark (or Konarak) is a small town in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometres from Bhubaneswar. 

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses. Built in the 13th century, it is one of India's most famous Brahman sanctuaries. 

The main temple has two "stories", although the bottom one (at the level of which this is taken) is solid. There are two "buildings" (of course, all part of the one rock), a large main one, and a smaller forebuilding with a Nandi (statue of a seated cow) inside it. We stand here at the base of the forebuilding. At the upper left corner is a raised walkway leading to the upper part of the entrance building. To the right is a free-standing plinth. 

This is standing just inside the entrance, looking to the left. There is a free-standing statue of an elephant partly obscured by the shadows directly in front