Khajuraho, once the great Chandela capital, is today a village of about a few thousand people in the interiors of central India, in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Tradition records the existence of eighty five temples, of which only twenty five, strewn amidst lakes and fields, have survived. The temples at Khajuraho, brilliant examples of medieval Indian architecture, were built under later Chandela kings between AD 950 and AD 1050.

Khajuraho is driectly connected by flights with Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Kathmandu. The nearest railheads are Mahoba and Harpalpur. Jhansi is a convenient railhead for those travelling from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai and Varanasi the railhead is Satna, on the Mumbai-Allahabad section of the Central Railway is ideal. Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Agra by train to the railheads. Khajuraho is connected by regular and direct bus services with Chhatarpur, Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna, panna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Sagar, Jabalpur, Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi and Allahabad.

The creators of Khajuraho claimed descent from the moon. The legend that describes the origin of this great dynasty is a fascinating one: Hemavati, the beautiful young daughter of a Brahmin priest was seduced by the moon god while bathing in the Rati one evening. The child born of this union between a mortal and a god was a son, Chandravarman. Harassed by society, the unwed mother sought refuge in the dense forest of Central India where she was both mother and guru to her young son. The boy grew up to found the great Chandela dynasty. When he was established as a ruler, he had a dream-visitation from his mother, who implored him to build temples that would reveal human passions, and in doing so bring about a realization of the emptiness of human desire. Chandravarman began the construction of the first of the temples, successive rulers added to the fast growing complex.

Some people also believe these erotic art forms to be the visual depiction of Kamasutra, art of sex or the relations between Shiva and Parvati, the divine couple. Khajuraho temples got lost into obscurity and were only discovered by chance but they quickly became India's second most favored tourist destination after Taj Mahal. This temple complex is perhaps the largest group of medieval temples. Other than eroticism, these sculptures also depict other refined courtly accomplishments such as music and dance. Only 22 temples have survived out of the original 85 temples. It displays one of the most unique stone-carving work and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986.

TEMPLES OF KHAJURAHO

It took more than 200 years to complete elaborately carved Khajuraho temples that are planned in a similar pattern. Built in the central Indian temple architectural style, the uninhibited and graceful erotic sculptures of Khajuraho temples are known for their paramount architectural balance and exquisiteness. The temple plans range from the simple ones to the most inspired ones. The lovely temples can be divided into three broad groups, namely, the Eastern group, the Southern group and the Western group. However, the Western group is not only the largest one but also the one, which is most easily accessible.

• The Eastern Group takes in five isolated sub-group of temples situated in and around the present town of Khajuraho. Along with the three Brahmanical temples more commonly spoken of as temples of Brahma, Vamana and Javari, the three Jain temples of the deities Ghantai, Adinath and Parsvanath fall under this group.
• The Southern Group is situated at the most distant location and includes mainly the two temples of Duladeo and Chaturbhuja, which are situated near and across the Khudarnala.
• The Western Group is the largest of all the temple groups of Khajuraho. It is not compact and located in the center but also include the most renowned and noteworthy monuments built during the reign of the Chandela rulers. They are also known to have been maintained well by the Archaeological Survey of India and the lush green lawns surrounding them with multihued shrums and fragrant blossoms add to their beauty. The most prominent temples of the group are the Lakshmana Temple, the Matangesvara Temple and the Varaha Temple that are a part of a single complex, the Visvanatha and Nandi temples situated near the above-mentioned complex and the Chitragupta, Jagadambi and the Kandariya Mahadeo temples a little to the west of the complex.

CONTRUCTION AND ARCHITECHTURE

Temple construction continued sporadically until the 12th century. Far removed from the politcal centre of the kingdom, its location minimised the danger of external attack, making Khajuraho te Chandelas' spiritual homeland. In 1335 Ibn Batuta talks about 'Kajarra' with a great pond, flanked by temples containing idols and ascetics with matted locks living in them.

The earliest temples of Khajuraho were built in coarse granite. However, the most famous ones - including the World Heritage monuments known as the Western Group of temples - are mostly built in fine-grained buff, pink and pale yellow sandstone, quarried from neighbouring Panna. The temples belong to different religious sects like Shaiva, Vaishnava and Jain and mark the culmination of the northern Indian or Nagara style of temple architecture.

A typical Khajuraho temple sits upon a lofty stone terrace called the adisthana or jagati, over which rise the jangha or walls of the inner compartments. It also has canopied windows with balconies to admit air and light into the interior. The roof comprises turrets of varying heights, culminating in the tall and graceful curvilinear shikhara suggesting rising mountain peaks.

The Khajuraho temples are almost all aligned east to west, with the entrance facing east. A profusely carved arch leads to the oblong porch or ardhamanapa, behind which is the large assembly hall or mandapa, open on three sides, followed by the still larger hall mahamandapa, a closed hall with a corridor around it. This hall finally leads into the vestibule or the antarala. Beyond this is the garbhagriha or sanctum, entered through another ornate doorway, that houses the cult deity.

The larger temples have both inner and outer ambulatory passages or sandharas. And some have subsidiary shrines on the four corners making the structure a panchayatna or five shrined complex. Both the interiors and the exterior are beautifully carved. A series of friezes runs right round the temple, from the basement to the projections and the recesses of the walls above. The inside walls, doorways, pillars, pilasters, niches, architraves and ceilings all display a wealth of ornamentation which has few parallels.

The sculptors of Khajuraho have show immense virtuosity in expressing the myriad aspects of Indian life - god and goddesses, guardians of the quarters, sensuous and graceful apsaras (nymphs), surasundaris (attendants of higher divinities), salabhanjikas (tree nymphs) in infinite moods and postures.

THEMES OF PASSION AND SENSUALITY

It is the amorous couples of Khajuraho, appearing mostly on the panels of the sandhara temples, that have drawn maximum attention. Their gestures and expressions pulsate with life and exhibit great passion, sensitivity, joy and warmth.

Traditionally, love or kama, symbols of life and creation, had religious sanction as one of the aims of pursuits of life, along with dharma or piety and artha or economic pursuit. The full attainment of all three leads to moksha or salvation. Depictions of mithuna or loving human couples were seen as auspicious signs of fertility that would ward off evil and bestow great merit on the builder when used in architecture.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Western Group

Kandariya Mahadeo: Kandariya Mahadeva temple sits just to the west of Lakshmana temple. Built in 1025-1050 AD, it is 30 meters tall and the largest in the Khajuraho complex. It is dedicated to Shiva and its name consists of the word "cave" (Kandariya) and Mahadeva, another name by which Shiva is known. The temple is considered to be the most impressive and refined in the Khajuraho complex, with over 900 sculptures carved into sandstone stacked without mortar. The vibrantly carved exterior contrasts with a very plain interior space that houses a Shiva lingam in the womb, or 'griha', of the temple located beneath the main 'shikhara' (spire).

Jagdambi Temple: shares the same plinth as Kandariya temple to the south. It is one of most finely decorated temples at Khajuraho, with numerous erotic carvings. In the temple "womb", the griha, is an enormous image of the goddess Devi, though it was probably originally designed as a Vishnu temple.

Chaunsath Yogini: The temple is the earliest temple of the group that has survived. It belongs to 900 AD and is dedicated Goddess Kali. It has the distinction of being the only granite temple here.

Chitragupta Temple: This temple is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev). It faces towards east or the rising sun and the imposing image of the image of the deity in the inner sanctum is as high as five feet and is shown driving a horse-drawn chariot. It is in front of this temple and the Vishwanatha temple that most of the dance performances take place during the Khajuraho Dance Festival.

Vishwanatha Temple: This is one of the finest of the Khajuraho temples and was built by the Chandella king Dhanga in 1002. The temple itself has a most delicate balance. It measures 89' x 45'10" (27m x 13.5m). The sculptures are particularly striking in the carving and in some of the subject matter. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple enshrines not only a Shiva lingam but also his "vehicle", the bull Nandi, as well as an image of his consort depicted as Durga. In another subsidiary corner shrine on the temple podium is an image of the Shiva lingam with four faces attached.

The Parvati temple: is a restored shrine just to the south of Vishvanath temple. Parvati is one incarnation of the wife of Shiva.

Lakshmana Temple: Lakshmana temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was built from 930-950 AD during the reign of King Yasovarman of the Chandella kingdom. It houses a sacred image of Vaikuntha-Vishnu brought from Tibet. Though the temple is one of the oldest in the Khajuraho fields, it is also one of the most exquistely decorated, covered almost completely with images of over 600 gods in the Hindu Pantheon. The main shrine of the temple, which faces east, is flanked by four freestanding subsidiary shrines at the corners of the temple platform. The temple is famous for the explicitely sexual carvings on the southern side of the temple.

Matangeshwara Temple: Situated outside the premises of Western group of temples, this Lord Shiva's temple is known for the daunting eight-feet high lingam (male organ representing the natural process of reproduction and the continuity of human life form) that it enshrines.

Eastern Group

Parsvanatha Temple: This is the largest of the Jainist temples in the southeastern group of the temples of Khajuraho. It is also one of the finest in the total temple complex. Measuring 65.6' by 36' (20m x 11m), it lies within a walled enclosure and is noted for the precision of its construction and its beautifully sculpted figures. The temple has a solid outer wall embellished with three bands of graceful sculptures depicting Hindu Gods (despite its affiliation as a Jain temple). More figures can be found on the outer face of the sanctum, depicting 'apsaras' (heavenly nymphs) in a variety of poses. The temple was originally dedicated to the deity Adinath, but in the late 19th century an image of Parsvanath was installed there and the temple assumed this new name.

Ghantai Temple: This Jain temple has remarkable frescos depicting the 16 dreams of the mother of Lord Mahavira at the time of his birth and a Jain goddess mounted on a winged Garuda.

Adinatha Temple: This temple is richly ornamented with delicate and pretty scultures including those of yakshis. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara (saint), Adinath.

Most of the temple here belong to Jain faith but there are three Hindu temples of the group, namely, the Brahma temple enshrining a four-faced linga; the Vamana temple with divine carvings of sensuous celestial maidens in various poses adorning its outer walls and the Javari temple with a opulently carved doorway and ostentatious sculptures on its exteriors.

Southern Group

Duladeo Temple: Duladeo Temple, constructed in 1130 AD, is among the last to be built at Khajuraho by the Chandella kings. It was sponsored during the reign of King Madana-varman, a devout worshipper of Shiva (in the 'womb' of the temple is a large Shiva lingam). The entire temple is decorated with carvings of Shiva and his consort Parvati, many in erotic poses. On the inside of the temple the roof is supported by 'apsaras' that are carved into the brackets. Legend says that as a wedding procession passed by its gates, the groom died and became a god.

Chaturbhuja Temple: Chaturbhuja temple was built in the declining years of the Chandella dynasty. It is crudely built and lacks the ornamentation and sexual imagery of the other Khajuraho temples. It was constructed by Emperor Lakshavarman primarily to enshrine an image of the four-armed 'Chaturbhuja' Vishnu brought from Tibet. In addition, the temple also enshrines another incarnation of Vishnu known as the 'Narasingha avatar' (an incarnation of Vishnu that is part-man, part-lion). There are also images of the god Shiva, including Shiva's incarnation as the 'Ardhanarishvara', an androgeonous deity, as well as his incarnation as the four-armed god of destruction.

EXCURSION

Gangau Dam: Gangau dam is at a distance of 34 kms from Khajuraho, a natural dam at the confluence of the Ken and Simri rivers, ideal for nature-lovers, anglers and the adventure minded. The dam is surrounded by the Panna National Park & Gangau Sanctuary.

Pandav Falls: It is at 34 kms from Khajuraho, a picturesque waterfall in a bowl shaped valley on the ken river. The Pandavas are said to have spent a part of their exile here.

Majhganwa Diamond Mines, Panna: 56 kms from Khajuraho, are the only diamond mines of Asia. Open from 9 am to 1 pm. Sunday Closed.

Panna: 48 kms from Khajuraho. Historic town and capital of Chhatrasal, a national warrior and founder of Bundella Kingdom, Panna is also known for the temples of Baldevji, Kishorji, Govindji, Prannathji, Jagannath Swami and Ram.

Dhubela Museum: 57 km. Located on the bank of a lake, the museum houses a wide variety of Shakti Cult sculptures. There are different sections on garments, weapons and paintings.

Ajaygarh Fort: 80 kms from Khajuraho, is at a height of 688 meters above sea level and was capital of the Chandelas during their decline.

Kalinjar Fort: Kalinjar (Kalanjar), a historical fort situated in Banda district (Uttar Pradesh) , is one of the most precious gift of India to the World hertige.