¤ The
Stones of Passion
Right through the Mughal invasion and the early
British forays into India, Khajuraho temples in
India remained unknown. Rediscovered in this
century, they are fine reminders of India's
glorious past.
To some, Khajuraho Temples are the most graphic,
erotic and sensuous sculptures of India, the
world has ever known. But Khajuraho has not
received the attention it deserves for its
significant contribution to the religious art of
India – there are literally hundreds of
exquisite images on the interior and exterior
walls of the shrines.
Architecturally these temples are unique. While
each temple in Khajuraho has a distinct plan and
design, several features are common to all. They
are all built on high platforms, several metres
off the ground, either in granite or a
combination of light sandstone and granite. Each
of these temples has an entrance hall or mandapa,
and a sanctum sanctorum or garbha griha. The
roofs of these various sections have a distinct
form. The porch and hall have pyramidal roofs
made of several horizontal layers. The inner
sanctum's roof is a conical tower - a colossal
pile of stone (often 30m high) made of an
arrangement of miniature towers called shikharas.
The famous Western group of temples are
designated as the World Heritage Site and is
enclosed within a beautifully laid out park. The
Lakshmana and Vishwanath Temples to the front
and The Kandriya Mahadev, Jagadami and
Chitragupta Temples displays the best
craftmanship of Khajuraho
Quick bytes
|
State :
|
|
|
Location :
|
The City of Khajuraho is
situated in the forested plains
of Madhya Pradesh in the region
known as Bundelkhand and at a
reasonable distance from most
cities and town centers of the
state
|
|
Watch Out :
|
Western Group of Temples Eastern
Gropu of Southern Group of
Temples
|
|
Look Out :
|
Khajuraho Dance Festival Held -
25 th Feb - 30 th Feb
|
|
World Heritage
Site :
|
|
¤ Major Groups of Khajuraho
Temples
For the purpose of convenience, the village
of Khajuraho has been divided into three
directional areas in which are located the
major groups of temples .
Western Group
Temples
These groups of Khajuraho temples are
entirely Hindu, and constitute some of the
finest examples of Chandela art at its peak.
The largest being the Kandhariya Mahadev,
followed by a granite temple - Chaunsath
Yogini. The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated
to the Sun God, while the Vishwanath Temple
sports a three-headed image of Brahma – the
Creator of the Universe. The Lakshmana
Temple is superbly decorated, while the Devi
Jagdambi Temple is dedicated to Goddess
Kali. Other temples in the Western Group
include the Varaha Temple with a nine-feet
high boar-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the
Matangeshwara Temple with a eight-feet high
lingam, and the Brahma Temple.
Eastern Group Temples
This group of Khajuraho tempels comprises of two
historic Jain temples – the Adinath Temple
lavishly embellished with sculpted figures, and
the Parsvanath Temple, the largest Jain temple,
sculpted with charming detail. There are other
shrines such as the Vamana Temple with apsaras
in sensuous poses, and the Javari Temple that
has a richly-carved doorway.
¤ Southern Group
This group has two impressive Khajuraho temples,
mainly belonging to the 12th century – the
Chaturbhuja Temple, with a massive, carved image
of Vishnu, and the
Duladeo Temple, one of the last temples of
the Chandela era, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Symbolising a medieval legacy, the Khajuraho
temples of India are a perfect fusion of
architectural and sculptural excellence,
representing one of the finest examples of
Indian art.
¤ Souvenirs from Khajuraho
Being one of the most visited places in India,
many shops have developed which offers souvenirs
at best of prices. There are number of stalls in
front of these temples that presents array of
articles which are worth buying.
¤ Khajuraho Dance Festival
Held every year from 25th February to 2nd March,
Khajuraho Dance festival provides an exclusive
platform to showcase the Indian classical dance
forms like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odisi,
Kathakali etc. For over 25 years now, the carved
stones fills with life during the month of Feb.
¤ Getting to Khajuraho
Air :
The airport is 5 kms from the
city centre and is well connected by
domestic flights to and from Agra, Varanasi
and Kathmandu.
Train :
Mahoba, Satna and Jhansi are
the nearest railway stations. All of these
are well connected by most of the major
cities of India.
Road :
Khajuraho is connected by
regular bus services with Mahoba, Harpalpur,
Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and
Bhopal. Khajuraho is 590 kms from Delhi via
Gwalior and Jhansi.
¤
Accommodation
Whether there are any good hotels in Khajuraho
or not? Probably you don't have to worry much as
there are number of hotels in Khajuraho. Ranging
from budget to deluxe, hotels in Khajuraho offer
good accommodation at your price.
