Khajuraho,
once the capital of Chandela Rulers, today is a village of about a few
thousand people in the interiors of central India, in Chhatarpur district of
Madhya Pradesh. Originally there were existence of eighty-five temples, of
which only twenty-five, dispersed around lakes and fields, have survived.
The temples at Khajuraho are the effulgent examples of medieval Indian
architecture, they were built between 950 AD. and 1050 AD. These gothic
temples dramatizing the romantic carvings are listed as a World Heritage
Sight and are a center of temptation for the visitors through out the year.
The best time to make a visit is to these man made wonder is from October to
March. Summers are hot but winters make a trip quite pleasant for the
tourist.
The Famous Temples of Khajuraho
The Khajuraho Temples are broadly divided into 3 groups, Western, Eastern
and Southern.
Western Group of Temples are included in a World Heritage site. The
Jagadambi temple, the immortal Kandariya Mahadeva and the Chitragupta
temples are the finest examples of the most exotic sculptures of India. The
Lakshmana temple is a starting point for exploring the treasures of
Khajuraho. The temple is famous for its romantic sculptures, and splendid
images, portraying the day to day activities The Eastern Group of Temples
includes famous temples like Brahma, Vamana and Javari located near the
Khajuraho Sagar and many Jain pilgrims like the Ghantai, Adinath and
Parsvanath situated in south. The Southern Group of Temples includes famous
Duladeo and the Chaturbhuja temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and to Lord
Vishnu.
Construction of the Khajuraho Temples
Till 12th century the construction of this architectural marvel continued.
The primeval temple structures of Khajuraho were constructed in coarse
granite. The most prestigious, the World Heritage monuments known as the
Western Group of temples are built in fine-grained ocher, pink and pale
yellow sandstone. The temples belong to different religious sects like
Shaiva, Vaishnava and Jain symbol the zenith of the northern Indian or
Nagara style of temple architecture.
The Sculptures
The sculptures manifest the images of 'Parivara', 'Parsva', 'Avarana'
'Devatas', 'Dikpalas', the 'Apsaras' and 'Sura-Sundaris' that acquire the
worldwide reverence for their erotic beauty.
They epitomize the impassioned motif of Hinduism. The famous sculptures,
which include statues of gods and goddesses, warriors, angelic dancers and
animals, besides those of couples in romantic postures, celebrates the Hindu
philosophy of Yoga and Bhoga the two paths leading to final liberation.
Dance
Festival at Khajuraho
The famous Dance Festival of Khajuraho comprises of traditional folkdance
and music and is celebrated over a period of 7 days. The enchanting tunes of
music bring sculptures of the temples to life. The festival comes in the
month of March.
Accessibility
Air : Indian Airlines services connect Khajuraho with Delhi and
other parts of the country.
Rail : Harpalpur is the nearest railhead to visit Khajuraho at a
distance of 110km. Jhansi at a distance of 175km, Satna 117km is other
important rail junction for visiting Khajuraho from all metropolitan cities
of India.
Road : A well-knitted road connects Khajuraho by all parts of India
by means of bus trnansport. Distances from Khajuraho are Agra 395 km,
Allahabad 285 km, Bhopal 372 km Delhi 590 km, Lucknow 267 km and Varanasi
415 km.
