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 Khajuraho
, a small village in Madhya Pradesh, is located in the Chatarpur
district, about 385 miles or 620 kms. southeast of Delhi. One of the
more important tourist destinations and vacationing place, it
probably has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples
which are very famous for its erotic sculptures. There is a very
interesting theory behind the creation of these erotic statues. It
is believed that in those days since boys followed the Hindu law of
being “brahmacharis” until attaining manhood, the only way they
could prepare themselves for the role of ‘householder’ was through
the study of these sculptures.
Khajuraho or Khajirvahila as it was earlier known, is derived
from the Hindi word – “khajur”, meaning date palms. Like many other
cities in India, Khajuraho has a great history connected with
it. It was once the capital of “Chandelas” – a Hindu dynasty that
ruled during 10th and 12th centuries. It is also fascinating to note
that the complicated temples of Khajuraho were built in the
span of just 100 years, from 950A.D to 1050A.D. There were
originally 80 temples, out of which only about 22 survive at
present.
Climate
The climate of Khajuraho is tropical; hence summers are
extremely hot while the winters are extremely cold. Monsoon in
Khajuraho starts from July and lasts till late September.
How to Reach
Air: Khajuraho is connected to Delhi and Agra with regular
flight services.
Rail: The nearest railway stations are Mahoba(64 kms.),
Harpalpur(94 kms.), Jhansi(175 kms.) and Satana(117 kms.).
Khajuraho is easily reachable for visitors from Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Agra and Varanasi.
Road: Khajuraho is well connected by regular bus service with
Mahoba, Herpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and
Bhopal.
When to visit Khajuraho
The best season to visit Khajuraho is between September and
March when the temperature is cool and very pleasant.
PLACES TO SEE
The Khajuraho temples are divided into 3 groups; the Western
group, the Southern group and the Eastern group.
Western Group
This group is the best known, particularly because the most famous
Khajuraho temple – the Kandariya Mahadev belongs to this
group.
Kandariya Mahadev
This is the largest and the most famous holiday and vacation
destinations of the Khajuraho temples. Perfectly symmetrical,
it stands at an impressive 31 metre high and contains about 900
statues, most of which are more than 8 feet in length. It is
dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are 4 small temples that stand at the
corner of the main shrine. Though these are in shambles, the main
shrine has a beautifully carved entrance attached to it. The sanctum
in the temple contains a ‘lingam’, while the main shrine depicts
various Gods, Goddesses and Apsaras in exquisite detail. The sanctum
also enshrines a beautiful marble - the Shivalingam.
Chaunsat Yogini
Another important temple in the western group is the “Chaunsat
Yogini”, which is the only granite temple in the whole of
Khajuraho ; and is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Originally, there
were about 65 cells in the temple, of which only 35 survives today.
This is not at all surprising, considering the fact that it is the
oldest temple in Khajuraho , which dates back to 900 A.D. An
interesting thing to note here is, raised on an immensely high
platform, there is an open courtyard which is surrounded by 64
“yoginis” or manifestations of Goddess Kali, hence the name
“Chaunsat Yogini”.
Jagdambi Temple
Another Kali temple, which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu,
is the Jagdambi temple. It stands on the same platform as Kendariya
Mahadev temple though it is much smaller and delicately proportioned
than the Kendariya Mahadev. Inside it, one finds some of the finest
sculptures of Khajuraho . The “Garbha Griha”, for example, is
a huge image of the goddess of Universe or Devi Jagdambi.
Eastern Group
Mainly Hindu and Jain temples make up the eastern group of temples.
Most temples in this group are generally enclosed within a high wall
although some are just scattered around Khajuraho .
Parsavanath Temple
The largest of the Jain temples, it has an image of Parshavanath, a
Jain tirthankara in the sanctum, which was installed in the year
1860. The sculpture on the walls of the temple depict everyday life
in exquisite detail, for example – a lovely girl removing thorn from
her feet. In the temple, one also finds a bull emblem of the first
tirthankar – Adinath. The sculptures found here makes this perhaps
the finest in the whole of Eastern group.
Ghantai Temple
Another very important Jain temple, which we find here, is the
Ghantai temple. It is almost in ruins now, but still somehow it
bears the original splendor of the temple. It depicts, in beautiful
graphic detail, the 16 dreams of Mahavira’s mother as well as a
multi-armed Jain Goddess perched on a Garuda.
Adinath Temple
This is last of the Jain temples, and is dedicated to a Jain saint,
Adinath, while the sculptures of the Yakshis, among others enhances
the beauty of the temple.
The Hindu temples in this group are the Brahma, Vamana and the
Javari temple. The Brahma temple has a four-faced lingam, the Vamana
temple is embellished with images of different Apsaras, while the
final temple, the Javeri displays some lavish carvings.
Southern Group
The Southern group of temples is positioned about 5 kms from the
Khajuraho village. The two most important temples in the
southern group are – the Duladeo temple and the Chaturbhuj temple.
Duladeo temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and like many other
Khajuraho temples, has some of the most exquisitely crafted
sculptures. The Duladeo temple, also known as “Kunwar Maha” was
constructed in 1130 A.D on the bank of Kundar stream. This temple
forms the last phase of building at Khajuraho and it is very
famous for Chandella art and architecture. It is believed that it
was built during the time of king Madanavarman who used to worship
Lord Shiva. It measures 69 feet by 40 feet with all the sections
fully developed.
It is a small five-chambered temple which has a large closed hall
with the ceiling painted with 20 apsaras. The walls of the temple
are embellished with images of Shiva and Parvathi, which are richly
decorated with beautifully crafted jewellery.
Chaturbhuj Temple
During your vacations you can visit Chaturbuhj Temple, another
important temple of Khajuraho . It is dedicated to Lord
Vishnu and has an intricately detailed 9 feet statue of Lord Vishnu,
in ‘Chaturbhuj’ or four-armed form, Varada and Abhay with his upper
right hand holding a manuscript along with a lotus in his upper left
hand and a pot in his lower left hand. Located about 3 kms. from the
eastern group of temples, it was built in 1100 A.D. It looks similar
to the Duladeo temple except for its size, which is smaller.
HOTELS
The Hotels in Khajuraho range from five
star to economy class depending upon the travelers' needs and
budget.
Luxury Hotels
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Hotel Marco Polo.
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Hotel Usha Bundela
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