What is a Sundial?

Sundials are also used in modern times. The below pictures are of some of the world’s sundials used in ancient times and modern times.

Ancient Sundial and Modern Sundial times:

Konark Sun Temple Wheel:

The famous sun temple of Konark is renowned for its stone sculptures worldwide. The temple is shaped like a gigantic chariot drawn by 7 horses on 12 pairs of beautifully decorated wheels, heights around 297.18 cm from the ground. These huge wheels work as sundials, also. The temple itself signifies time. The 7 horses represent the 7 days of a week, 12 pairs of wheels represent the 12 months of a year, and 24 wheels of the chariot represent the 24 hours of a day. There are 8 major spokes and 8 minor spokes in the wheel. The 24 hours in a day is divided in Prahars, each equals to a 3hour period by these major spokes. The minor spoke between two major spokes is of 1.5 hours. There is a total of 30 beads between one major spoke to the next minor spoke, and each bead represents 3 minutes. The sundial shows time in an anticlockwise direction and represents 12 am or midnight in the top centre of the wheel.

To acknowledge the rich culture of Odisha, the sundial of Konark is also depicted on the back side of the notes of Rs 10.