Khajuraho
City Information
The small village of Khajuraho in
Madhya Pradesh has an important place in the
map of Indian tourism. This village houses
several temples from the 9th through the 13th
centuries, built in the Indo Aryan Nagara
style of architecture, embellished with a
profusion of sculptural work. Around the temples
are bands of fine work, depicting several
aspects of life, over a 1000 years ago, portraying
gods, goddesses, musicians, animals, etc.
In the temple architecture of India, the
Khajuraho complex remains unique. One thousand
years ago, under the generous and artistic
patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of
Central India, 85 temples, magnificent in
form and richly carved, came up on one site,
near the village of Khajuraho. The amazingly
short span of 100 years, from 950 AD - 1050
AD, saw the completion of all the temples,
in an inspired burst of creativity. Today,
of the original 85, only 22 have survived
the ravages of time; these remain as a collective
paean to life, to joy and to creativity; to
the ultimate fusion of man with his creator.
Khajuraho Dance
Festival
Held every year from 25th
February to 2nd March, Khajuraho Dance Festival
takes place at the open-air auditorium in
front of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated
to the Sun God and the Vishwanatha Temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva. They are situated
in the Western Group of temples, which is
the largest, well maintained and most easily
accessible temple group of Khajuraho. Started
regularly since 2002, this weeklong festival
has already become legendary with its outlandish
classical dance performances presented in
a dreamlike setting of splendidly illuminated
temples. Khajuraho temples present sculptures
depicting various skills and arts of courtly
love including dance and music in stone and
what venue can be more befitting to hold the
cultural festival highlighting the various
classical dances of India.
Some of the best artists and performers that
have marked themselves in their fields come
from the various states of India to participate
in the festival and the performances including
some of the best known dance styles such as
the intricate footwork of Kathak, highly stylized
and sophisticated Bharathanatyam, soft lyrical
temple dance of Odissi, the dance dramas of
Kuchipudi, Manipuri, the dance of rare and
ancient civilization and Kathakali stage fights
with elaborate masks. Recently, modern Indian
dances have also found their place in the
Khajuraho Dance festival. Along with the dance
performances one can also see a number of
craftsmen trading off their indigenous arts
and crafts to the visitors.
Main
Sightseeing of Khajuraho
The Temples of Khajuraho :
The architectural style of the Khajuraho
temples is very different from the temple
prototype of that period. Each stands, instead
of within the customary enclosure, on a
high masonry platform. Combined with the
upward direction of the structure, which
is further accentuated by vertical projections,
the total effect is one of grace and lightness,
reminiscent of the Himalayan peaks. Each
of the chief compartments has its own roof,
grouped in such a way that the highest is
in the centre, the lowest over the portico,
a triumph of skill and imagination in recreating
the rising peaks of a range. The temples
of Khajuraho are divided into three geographical
groups :
Western, Eastern and Southern.
The Western group is certainly the best
known, because it is to this group that
the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple
belongs :
Kandariya Mahadev : Perfectly
symmetrical, it soars 31 km high. Though
the four temples that stand at the corners
of the main shrine are now in ruins, the
main shrine has an exquisitely carved entrance
arch with a multitude of themes. Celestial
beings, lovers serenading musicians . .
. movements captured in stone, frozen in
time, yet retaining a quality of warm, pulsating
life. The very stone seems to have taken
on the living, breathing quality of the
carved figures. Beyond the archway of the
Kandariya Mahadev, lie the six interior
compartments; the portico, main hall, transept,
vestibule, sanctum and ambulatory. The ceilings
are particularly noteworthy and the pillars
supporting them have intricately carved
capitals. The transept's outer walls have
three horizontal panels showing deities
of the Hindu pantheon, and groups of lovers,
a pageant of sensuousness, vibrantly alive.
Chaunsat Yogini temple,
the only granite temple in the Khajuraho
group. Dedicated to Kali, it is also unique
in being quadrangular in plan. Only 35 of
the original 65 cells remain and no image
of Kali has survived : not surprisingly,
since this is the earliest surviving shrine
of the group dated to 900 AD. Another Kali
Temple (originally dedicated to Vishnu)
is the Devi Jagadambe Temple.
Chitragupta temple : North
of it facing eastward to the rising sun
this temple of Chitragupta, dedicated to
the sun-god, Surya. The image of this powerful
deity in the inner sanctum is particularly
imposing : 5ft high, and driving a seven-horsed
chariot. The group scenes depicted are equally
spectacular: royal processions, elephant-fights,
hunting scenes, group dances. The lavish
lifestyle of the Chandela kings and their
court is here in all its pomp and glory.
Similar in plan to the Kandariya Mahadev
is the Vishwanath Temple.
Lions flank the northern steps and elephants
the southern, leading up to the temple.
Within, there is an impressive three headed
image of Brahma. The exteriors are profusely
carved, and facing the shrine is a Nandi
Temple with a massive, 6 ft high
Nandi bull.
Since the first few Chandela rulers were
devotees of Vishnu, there are some important
Vaishnavite temples in the Khajuraho group,
the finest of which is the Lakshmana
Temple. The lintel over the entrance
shows the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva, with Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The
sanctum is richly carved and has a three-headed
idol of Vishnu's incarnations, Narsimha
and Varaha. The boar incarnation also appears
in another Vaishnavite shrine, the Varaha
Temple. The statue here is a mammoth
9 ft high one, its surface covered with
figures from the Hindu Pantheon.
The Khajuraho temples are no longer living
places of worship, with a few exceptions.
The Matangeswara Temple
for example is still a place of worship.
Dedicated to Shiva it has an 8 ft high lingam.
South of this temple is the open air Archaeological
Museum, which has a beautiful displayed
collection of statues and friezes collected
from the area : the remains of long vanished
temples
Eastern Group, are mainly
Jain temples amondst all the lasgest is
Parswanath Jain Temple. Exquisite
in detail, the sculptures on the northern
outer wall make this temple perhaps the
finest in the group. The themes of these
carvings are the timeless ones of every
day, mortal activity. A woman sits bent
pensively on a letter, a lovely young girl
removes a thorn from her foot, the master
craftsmen of Khajuraho display here their
deep understanding of the trifles that make
up a human life. Within, the sanctum has
a throne, which faces a bull : emblem of
the first tirthankara, Adinath. The actual
image of Parswanath from which the temple
derives its name was installed as recently
as 1860.
Ghantai Temple, this another
Jain temple but almost in ruins now, it
still bears evidence of its original splendour.
Particularly, arresting is the frieze which
depicts, in graphic detail, the 16 dreams
of Mahavira's mother and a multi-armed Jain
goddess riding on a winged Garuda. North
of Parswanatha is the more modestly sized
Adinatha Temple.
Brahma, Vamana and Javari Temples,
in a double row of apsaras, celestial
nymphs, adorn the outer walls of the Vamana
temple. A variety of sensuous attitudes
: languid, provocative, mischievously inviting,
give credibility to the theory that Khajuraho's
erotica were meant to test the devotees
who came to worship their gods at the temples.
Southern Group of temples,
at a distance of 5 kms from the Khajuraho
village, lies the fine Chaturbhuj
Temple in this group has a massive
intricately carved image of Vishnu in the
sanctum. Duladeo Temple,
another of the southern group, is a little
away from the road to the Jain group of
temples.
Though remains of temples belonging to
the Khajuraho group have been discovered
at Jatkari, 3 km away and even at Maribag
in Rewa, it is at the 3 main groups that
the imperishable glory of Khajuraho, the
sensuous celebration of life, the aspiration
towards the infinite, remains.
Excursions
from Khajuraho
Though it is the temples and their erotic
sculptures that first come to mind when we
talk about Khajuraho, but they are not the
only things worth a look here. There is a
fort, a palace and a museum for those who
want to delve into the regal and cultural
splendor of the region. There are interesting
lakes and waterfalls and beautiful rock formations
that can charm any nature lovers who ventures
there and there are national parks and sanctuaries
for the wildlife enthusiasts. For the casual
tourists, who just want a break from the hectic
lifestyle of the big cities, Khajuraho is
an idyllic place to visit.
Rajgarh Palace : 25 km
from Khajuraho, just 50-year old Rajgarh Palace
is situated at the foot of Maniyagarh hills.
Ajaygarh Fort : 80 km from
Khajuraho, Ajaygarh Fort is situated at a
height of 688m. This fort remained the capital
of Chandelas during the dark times before
their reign ended.
Kalinjar Fort : 100 km from
Khajuraho, Kalinjar fort is as old as the
Gupta period and was won over the Chandela
ruler Shri Yashovarman in the 10th century.
This fort is situated on the Vindhya ranges.
Dhubela Museum : 57 km from
Khajuraho, Dhubela museum is situated in an
old fort on the way to Jhansi. The museum
has a rare collection of Bundelkhandi artifacts
and a myriad of sculptures of Shakti cult.
Besides that, it also has several other sections
such as those on clothes, armory and paintings.
Panna National Park : 30-minute
drive will bring you from Khajuraho to the
famous and splendid Panna National Park. The
region is rich in wildlife and its highlights
are Leopards, Wolves, Gharials, Wild Boars,
Sloth Bears, Cheetals, Chowsinghas, Indian
Foxes and Porcupines. Flora is not the less
inviting with dense teak forests and the panoramic
landscape of the sanctuary has deep gorges
and lush green serene valleys. But due to
the hot summers, this national park remains
close from June to October.
Ken Gharial Sanctuary : 24
km from Khajuraho, Ken Gharial sanctuary is
the best place to see the crocodiles with
long-snouts living in their natural home.
The dreadful glimpse of the sharp teeth seemingly
ready to engulf you at once does not correspond
to the behavioral characteristics of these
crocodiles with normally peaceful nature.
However, it is best to keep the distance.
Pandava Waterfalls : 30
km from Khajuraho, Pandava waterfalls are
so called because it is believed that Pandavas
spent most of their time in exile here. It
is on the Ken River.
Raneh Falls : 20 km from
Khajurao, Raneh Falls are famous for the lovely
rock formations on the River Ken. Besides
the multihued pure crystalline granite canyon,
which is 5 km long and about 100 ft deep,
in varying shades of pink, red and gray, there
are a number of seasonal waterfalls in the
nearby wooded area making it a perfect picnic
spot.
Benisagar and Ranguan Lakes : Lake
Benisagar is 11 km from Khajuraho while Lake
Ranguan is 25 km from Khajuraho. Both these
delightful lakes have boating facilities and
are perfect venue for a short picnic..
How
to reach Khajuraho ?
By Air : Khajuraho has daily
domestic flights to and from Agra, Varanasi
and Kathmandu.
By Rail : The nearest railway
stations to Khajuraho are Mahoba, Satna and
Jhansi. All of these are well connected to
most of the major cities of India.
By Road : Khajuraho has frequent
bus services and good roads to and from the
major cities of India including Panna, Mahoba,
Satna, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore,
Agra and Jhansi.
