The Konark Sun Temple tour begins with hotel pickup at 8 am in a private air conditioned vehicle.

The first stop is Dhauli, the site of the Kalinga War of 260 BC in which Ashoka’s forces killed an estimated 100,000 people and enslaved 150,000 more. The rock edicts he inscribed here in the Brahmi script and Prakrit language immediately after the battle are among the oldest surviving examples of writing in India and among the most remarkable political documents in the ancient world — a king recording his own remorse in stone for all of posterity to read. The rock-cut elephant sculpture at the base of the hill is one of the oldest sculptures in India, and the Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda built above it in 1972 through an Indo-Japanese collaboration commands a view over the same plains where the battle was fought.

The Konark Sun Temple is the centrepiece of the tour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 1250 AD by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The temple is designed as a colossal chariot of the sun god Surya — seven stone horses pull it forward, twelve pairs of intricately carved wheels support it, and the entire structure faces east so that the first light of every morning illuminates the deity within. The 24 wheels function as precise sundials, each divided into eight spokes that cast shadows indicating the time to within minutes. The Black Pagoda nickname given by Portuguese sailors comes from the dark khondalite stone that was used in the original construction, which appeared black from the sea and served as a reliable navigation landmark on the Odisha coast for centuries. Your guide explains the astronomical engineering, the iconographic programme of the carvings, and the extraordinary story of the temple’s decline, partial collapse and eventual UNESCO recognition.

Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves follow, twin hills on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar riddled with rock cut cells and chambers carved in the 2nd century BC during the reign of King Kharavela of the Kalinga Kingdom. These were the dwelling retreats of Jain ascetics, some barely large enough to sit in, others elaborately carved with panels depicting royal court scenes, elephants and attendants. Jain tradition holds that Mahavira himself visited Khandagiri in the 6th century BC. An 18th century Jain temple at the top of the hill marks the continued sanctity of the site.

The Raja Rani Temple is the final stop, an 11th century temple built from the distinctive reddish and golden sandstone called Rajarani in the local dialect, which gave the temple its name. It is famous above all for its sculptures of women — figures carved in poses from Odissi dance, from everyday life, from mythology, rendered in the warm coloured stone with an ease and naturalism that makes them feel entirely alive.

Hotel drop by 6 pm.

This private Konark Sun Temple tour is fully inclusive. We take care of hotel pickup and drop in a private air conditioned vehicle, your English speaking cultural guide throughout the day, all entry fees and a local cuisine lunch.