Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed world leaders arriving at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan for the G20 Summit. PM Modi received the G20 leaders and shook hands with them for the customary photo-op with the replica of Konark Wheel of Odisha in the background.
The prime minister also shook hands with US President Joe Biden at the arrival area of the G20 venue and explained the significance of the Konark Wheel, which has been engraved in the walls of the Sun temple in Odisha.
The temple is designed as a chariot consisting of 24 such wheels built in the 13th century. A video from the event shows the prime minister shaking hands with Biden and then telling the US President about the spokes of the wheel and the interesting history behind the wheel.
All about Konark Wheels
The Konark Wheel was built during 13th century under the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I. The wheels are part of the Sun Temple at Konark, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument and a popular tourist destination in Odisha.
Narasimhadeva’s temple was built in the form of a huge Ratha or chariot, having twelve pairs of wheels exquisitely carved out and drawn by a team of seven spirited horses.
The wheel having 24 spokes is adapted into India’s national flag and embodies the ancient wisdom, and advanced civilisation. The rotating movement of the Konark Wheel symbolises time as well as progress and continuous change, according to NDTV.
It serves as a symbol of the wheel of democracy that reflects the resilience of democratic ideals, and commitment to progress in society.
The Significance of the Konark Wheels
The beauty of the Sun temple lies in the exquisitely carved wheels of the chariot that have sculptures engraved all along its spokes containing figures of women in different postures along with the divine Lord Krishna in the centre charming them with the tune of his flute.
The Konark Wheel, 9 feet in diameter, consists of 8 wider spokes and 8 inner spokes. The temple has 24 wheels representing the wheels of Lord Surya’s sun chariot.
Out of the 24 wheels, 6 are in either side of the main temple, 4 wheels are on each side of the Mukhasala and 2 wheels on each side of steps at eastern front. As per reports, 12 wheels of the temple signify the 12 months of the year and the 8 spokes represent the 8 prahars or time divisions of the day. The huge wheels of the Konark Temple are one of the major attractions for visitors.
According to other reports, the wheels of the chariot have been interpreted as the ‘Wheel of Life’, portraying the cycle of creation, preservation and achievement of realisation.
According to legend, it is said that the Konark sundial was used to calculate the precise time of day based on the position of the sun. The intricate design of the wheel allows sunlight to pass through it and cast shadows that could be used to determine the exact time.
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