Mehta, Rustam J. | Konarak: The Sun Temple of Love

Pleine reliure simili cuir noir ; plats unis ; Dos avec titre argenté ;couverture en très bon état ; Jaquette illustrée en noir état moyen ; 74 planches en noir ; intérieur en bon état ; Livre en anglais ; English book ; Samba, the son of Sri Krishna and Jambavati, was once cursed by the Rishi Durvasa to turn into a leper, an appeal to his godly father, Sri Krishna advised him to become a worshipper of the healing Sun, whereupon Samba retired to the Mitra Vanas forest on the banks of the river Chandrabhaga to devote himself to penances and severe austerities, year followed year, till pleased by Samba’s devotion, the Sun-god appeared before him and promised to grant a boon, Samba asked to be cured of his dreadful disease and became once more the handsome youth he once had been, he was further told that in the waters of the river would be found a magnificent statue of the Sun-god himself, that it should be removed and duly worshipped, thus arose the first Sun-temple in the land, so tells the Bhaishajya Parana and in the middle of the thirteenth century, on the banks of the river Chandrabhaga at Konark, there slowly arose the chariot-temple of the Sun... The temple came into existence on the orders of Raja Narasimha Deva of the Eastern Gangas, the dreamer of the temple of the Sun, drawn by seven fiery steeds, allegorically winging its way from the east to the west, from sunrise to sunset, “He built at Konarkona, a place of great renown, a temple for the Sun to live in...” reads a copper plate inscription, thus, on fertile soil, watered by the life-sustaining waters of the Chandrabhaga, facing the Rising Sun, arose the temple of the Sun-god, alas, today it lies in ruins, its magnificent past almost forgotten by gods and men alike, it stands incomplete and in ruins, slowly crumbling once again into ancient dust, yet still “a noble work of art”. (16E5)"