The Sun Temple of Konark, the venue of the Konark Dance Festival, is also known as the:

The Sun Temple of Konark, in the Puri district of Odisha, is also known as the Black Pagoda. The name was given by European sailors in the past, who used the dark-coloured temple tower as a landmark while sailing along the coast of Odisha. They called the Jagannath Temple of Puri, which appeared white, the White Pagoda.

The Konark Sun Temple was built in the 13th century, in about 1250 CE, by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. It is dedicated to Surya, the Sun god. The temple is designed in the form of a gigantic chariot of the Sun god, with 24 elaborately carved stone wheels (12 pairs) and pulled by seven horses. The wheels, about 3 metres in diameter, also work as sundials, and their spokes can be used to calculate time accurately. The 24 wheels are said to represent the 24 fortnights of the year, and the seven horses the seven days of the week. The temple is famous for its detailed carvings of gods, dancers, musicians, animals, scenes of daily life, love and war.

The main tower (shikhara) of the temple, which was about 70 metres high, collapsed long ago, and only the assembly hall (jagamohana) and some other parts survive. The temple is a fine example of the Kalinga style of architecture. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and one of its wheels appears on the Indian 10-rupee note.

The Konark Dance Festival is held every year from 1 to 5 December in an open-air auditorium with the Sun Temple as its backdrop. Leading classical dancers perform Odissi and other classical dances. The International Sand Art Festival is held at the nearby Chandrabhaga beach at the same time.

Why not the other options?

• ✗White Pagoda was the name given by sailors to the Jagannath Temple of Puri.
• ✗Shore Temple is the Pallava temple at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu.
• ✗Lingaraja Temple is the great Shiva temple of Bhubaneswar.