Konark Sun Temple
Konark, India UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Konark Sun Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Puri district of India. These Hindu temple ruins, which function as a sun temple, are dedicated to a solar deity and were constructed in 1201 using Kalinga architecture. The site covers 0.106 km2 and is the 12th most looked-up sight in India on English Wikipedia, among 120 sights, with about 3.6 million visitors in 2024.
Planning a visit
The best time to visit is during the cooler months of December, January, and February, when rainfall is low, between 10 mm and 29 mm. From May through September, the area is much wetter, with August seeing the highest rainfall at about 401 mm. During the warmer months, daily highs reach between 30 °C and 32 °C, while the coolest months have daily highs between 25 °C and 27 °C and daily lows between 20 °C and 22 °C.
The site is 50 km from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and is 1,323 km from New Delhi. Nearby sights include the Jagannath Temple in Puri, located 30.3 km away, and the Lingaraja Temple, located 47.6 km away.
Weather by month
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 32 °C. The wettest is August, with about 401 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 25 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 26 |
| Average low, °C | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 20 |
| Rainfall, mm | 14 | 29 | 20 | 22 | 103 | 250 | 353 | 401 | 311 | 209 | 75 | 10 |
| Rainy days | 2 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 16 | 3 | 3 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
