Konark Sun Temple

But what about the history of the temple? Well, the temple itself was built in the 13th century, when it was completed around 1250, of King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, under a chief architect named Bisu Maharana.

Some accounts put construction at roughly 12 years using black granite and chlorite stone, which is part of why the temple became known to European sailors as the Black Pagoda, since it stood as a dark landmark visible from the sea, distinct from the whiter Jagannath Temple in nearby Puri, sometimes called the White Pagoda.

The temple's main tower, the tallest part, over the sanctum actually collapsed at some point in history, and what stands in remains today is largely the surviving assembly halls.

Historians generally don't agree on why it fell.