Dharmapada – The Child Architect of Konark Sun Temple

Generations have grown, listening to the immortal story of the little child prodigy-Dharmapada, who could only add the last touch to the construction work of Sun temple of Konark. The teeming millions spread their eyes in disbelief that a child aged only 12 could master the intricacies of construction of temple in Odisha that remains beyond the comprehension of modern-day architects.

While the majestic structure of Sun temples was struggling for completion and failure in this could put the lives of twelve thousand fellow craftsmen at risk, Dharmapada stepped in the nick of time to help in the completion of the work and sacrificed his own life for the noble cause.

As hundreds of tourists from around the world reach inside the remnants of the structure of the temple that is a world heritage site, the imposing site gets them glimpses of a golden past. They hear the anecdotes about the then powerful king of Odisha- Narasingha dev. As Sun temple was his dream project, the king was furious at the repeated failures of his twelve thousand artisans, who failed to place the key stone or Kalasha over the top of the temple, although rest of the construction was completed.

The frustrated king had set morning as deadline and warned that failure would bring the beheading of entire workforce at the site. The fables describe that Dharmapada nicknamed ‘Dharama’ was separated from his father Bisu Maharana right from his birth as the latter was busy at the site of construction of the temple for 12years.

His father was the chief architect of the temple, assigned with the successful completion of the temple. The twelve thousand people had laboured for twelve years. The brainy child had walked miles only to reach the site of construction of the temple and see his father. He was tired. After months of search, finally he reached the historical place to find his father.

Seeing his father in the state of bewilderment and frustration, the twelve year old volunteered to deliver the solution for the confusion in the construction work. Although from his childhood, Dharama heard about his famous father, who left him in his infancy to join the construction work of Sun temple, his joy in his heart knew no bounds as he found him. The child found his father utterly heart-broken as the latter was unable to finish the completion work of the temple.

The versatile boy could know from the knowledge from the manuscripts that he read in his childhood about the real fault in the final stage of the construction. It was his sheer genius that could help in the design of the stone that would fit the temple as the key stone or Kalash and keep the temple together. As he was shown the structure by his father, he hastened to make the right stone along with his father. Within a few hours the key stone was rightly placed and the work was completed.

But as the workforce at the construction site feared that the king would show his wrath if he knew that a 12 year old child had completed the work, whereas twelve thousand artisans had failed to do it. The sensitive child climbed and slowly reached the peak of the temple. As it dawned with the first ray of light, the child jumped to sea and sacrificed his life for the sake of saving the life of his father along with his brethren. The instance of supreme sacrifice laid down by the little child has forever gone down the generations as a tale of inspiration, brilliance, and self-sacrifice for the larger interest of the society.