Also popular as the “Black Pagoda” because it was built using black granite, the Konark Sun Temple of Odisha has 24 wheels that combine art and science, symbolising time and movement. Each wheel denotes a month, with eight spokes marking hours and sub-spokes indicating half-hours. The shadow of the central arc helped tell time, while carvings reflected the daily activities of each hour. A massive five-ton magnet, once placed atop the dome, held the iron-rich stones together. Its magnetic field was so strong that it disrupted the compass-based navigation of passing ships, causing them to lose direction.
