Monday, April 17, 2000
Khajuraho Temples
Anita Thakur
Anita Thakur crusading to keep the rich Indian cultural
heritage alive through her research and writings. |
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Location of Khajuraho Temples:
Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho
is a fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural
heritage. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love
to the world, represent the expression of a highly matured civilization.
It is one of the top tourist places of India. An Airport has been built in
this small village. Tourists with fat pockets but less time can fly
Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Delhi in a day! There are a lot of hotels in the area
to stay. A few are run by foreginers. The shops in Khujaraho sell a lot of
handicrafts and some of them are really good and reasonably priced.
History of Temples:
Khajuraho temples were constructed between 950 and 1050 A.D. during the reign
of Chandel Empire. Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree (the date
palm tree) which can be found in abundance in the area. These temples are
considered the "high point" of Indian architectural genius in the Medieval
period.
Originally there were 85 temples, of which only 22 still exist. 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. With the wane of the Chandela
empire, these magnificent temples lay neglected, and vulnerable to the ravages
of Nature. It was only in this century, that they were rediscovered, restored
and granted the recognition that they justly deserve. The murals depict the
life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being.
They not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, but also to the
extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose reign,
these temples were constructed. Their style of architecture was also rather
peculiar to their times. Each structure stands on a high masonry platform
with a distinct upward direction to their build, further enhanced by several
vertical projections to simulate the effect of an overall lightness. The
three main compartments are the entrance (ardhamandapa), assembly hall (mandapa),
and the actual sanctum (garbha griha). The temples are grouped into three
geographical divisions : western, eastern and southern.
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.
 Yet another theory is that the erotica of Khajuraho, and indeed
of other temples, had a specific purpose. In those days when boys lived in
hermitages, following the Hindu law of being "brahmacharis" until they attained
manhood, the only way they could prepare themselves for the worldly role
of 'householder' was through the study of these sculptures and the earthly
passions they depicted.
If the temples of Khajuraho can be said to have a theme, it is woman. A
celebration of woman and her myriad moods and facets- Writing letters, applying
kohl to her eyes, brushing her hair, dancing with joyous abandon playing
with her child. Woman - innocent, coquettish, smiling - infinitely seductive,
infinitely beautiful. Depicted in a wealth of detail, sharply etched, sculpted
with consummate artistry. The philosophy of the age dictated the enjoyment
of the delights of arth (material wealth) and kama (sensual pleasures) while
performing one's dharma (duty) as the accepted way of life for the grihastha
(householder). Hence, the powerful combination of the visual and sensual
pleasures combined with the duty attributed to the worship of the Dieties
brings about a powerful transformation of the body and the soul. To include
all of these aspects of life in one's early years makes it easier to renounce
them without regret or attachment as one moves on to one's next stages of
life toward moksha (liberation).
Location of Khajaraho Temples:
Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho
is a fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural
heritage. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love
to the world, represent the expression of a highly matured civilization.
It is one of the top tourist places of India. An Airport has been built in
this small village. Tourists with fat pockets but less time can fly
Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Delhi in a day! There are a lot of hotels in the area
to stay. A few are run by foreginers. The shops in Khujaraho sell a lot of
handicrafts and some of them are really good and reasonably priced.
Khajuraho Today:
The temples are a world heritage site and belong not just to India but to
the world. The Archeological Survey of India's dedicated efforts towards
their conservation rank them against the best preserved monuments of this
antiquity. Most of the temples are built of sandstone in varying shades of
buff, pink or pale yellow. They each belong to a different sect, the Shiva,
Vaishnava or Jaina Sects, but are often indistingushable from one another
to the untrained eye. The temples are lofty with ample walking space separating
them. The interior rooms are inter connected and placed in an East/West line.
Each contains an entrance, a hall, a vestibule and a sanctum. Windows were
added to the larger temples to add a feeling of space and light.
The openings face East with lavishly carved archways. The interior ceilings
are carved with geometrical and floral designs. The roofs are a series of
graded peaks that resemble a mountain range and in all probability, represent
the possibility of higher levels of spiritual attainment. Erotic scenes represent
a relatively small part of the carvings but sensuous eroticism prevails
throughout all of the sculptures. In general, lower indulgences appear lower
on the temple while the dieties appear near the top. Most of the statues
are about a meter high. The goddesses and gods represent the many manifestations
of the divine Shakti and Shiva, the female and male principles, the Yin and
the Yang.
 The divine sculptures in these temples, are a tribute to Life
itself, embodying everything that is sublime and spontaneous about it.. Popularly
known as the 10th century temples, they represent a time frame when Khajuraho
art was at its zenith. Visit to Khajuraho is a unique experience and is exciting
for conservationists, students, environmentalists, culture lovers or simply
those in search of an exotic destination with multiple attractions.
 Laurence Rogerson a tourist from UK says the statues and carvings
cover every inch of every ceiling and wall. The erotic carvings on the temples
at Khajuraho give the place it's fame. Erotic or not the level of detail
is quite magnificent as these pictures clearly do show. Another tourist from
Australia says "these temples depict scenes from elephant fights, mythical
lions, gods, and erotic couples. In a frieze that seemed to be an exception
a sodomistic scene was depicted where onlookers hold their hands in front
of their eyes in disgust. The erotic scenes are sort of a 3-D rendering of
the Kama Sutra book, a graphical instruction manual."
One of the Jain temples to the east of the village has a statue and pictures
of a nude man. According to the locals some of the Jain Pilgrims celebrate
there without even a leaf on them. Pieces of the statues from the temples
can be seen embedded in the houses of the village. Statues were used as cheap
building material for building the roads too.
What To See:
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions : western, eastern
and southern.
Western Group
The Western group is certainly the best known, because it is to this group
that the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple belongs : the Kandariya
Mahadev. Perfectly symmetrical, it soars 31 km high.
Kandariya Mahadeo: This is the largest, and most typical Khajuraho
temple. There are abput 900 statues. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars 31
m high. The sanctum enshrines a lingam, while the main shrine is ornately
carved and depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras (heavenly maidens) in
elaborate detail. The entrance arch, the massive pillars and ceilings are
adorned with exquisite carvings, that leave the visitor spellbound. 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: The oldest surviving temple in the group (900 A.D.),
this is the sole granite temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. 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, which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is the
Devi Jagdambe temple.
Chitragupta Temple: Dedicated to the sun-god, Surya, this temple faces
eastwards to the rising sun. The inner sanctum boasts of an impressive image
of the presiding deity - the majestic sun-god looming 5 feet high, and driving
a chariot. The other group scenes depict royal processions, group dances
and other scenes of sheer luxury, typical of the Chandela court-life.
 Vishwanath Temple: The temple enshrines a three-headed image
of Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northern entrance to the structure, while
elephants flank the southern flight of steps that lead upto it. The exteriors
are profusely carved, and facing the shrine is a Nandi Temple with a massive,
6 ft high Nandi bull.
Lakshamana Temple: The lintel over the entrance of this temple dedicated
to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Goddess
Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The sanctum is adorned with a three-headed idol
of Vishnu's incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha. The latter, the boar incarnation
also appears as a nine-feet high statue at the Varaha Temple.
Matangeshwara Temple: This temple, which happens to be outside the
precincts of the western group, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It boasts of
an eight feet high lingam. It is still a place of worship. 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
Parsavanatha Temple: The largest in the group of three Jain temples,
the Parsavanath image in this temple, was installed in 1860. The sculptures
on the northern wall depict everyday activity, in awesome detail. 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 temple, a throne faces
the bull emblem of first tirthankara, Adinath.
Ghantai Temple: This Jain temple has a frieze depicting the 16 dreams
of Mahavira's mother, and a multi-armed Jain goddess perched on a winged
Garuda.
Adinatha Temple: The last of the Jain temples, is dedicated to the
Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned with sculptures of yakshis
among others.
The three Hindu temples in this group are the Brahma temple, which
has a four-faced lingam, The Vamana temple which is embellished with
images of ravishing apsaras at their alluring best; and finally the Javari
temple, with its ornate gateway and lavish carvings. 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.
5 km from the Khajuraho village, lies the Southern Group.
Duladeo Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the highlights of this temple
are the sensuous images of the apsaras, and other exquisite sculptures.
 Chaturbhuj Temple: This temple sports a huge, elaborately
carved image of Vishnu in the sanctum
Festivals
Khajuraho Dance Festival -To mark the true spirit of Khajuraho, a
dance festival is held here in March, every year, wherein, ace artistes of
various dance forms participate.
Mahashivaratri (Feb/Mar) - Devotees come in huge numbers to the
Matangeshwar temple.
How to Reach:
By Air A daily Boeing 737 service links Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra,
Varanasi and Kathmandu.
By Rail The nearest railheads are Mahoba (64 km) and Harpalpur (94
km). Jhansi (175 km) and Satna (117 km) are convenient railheads for visitors
from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Agra and Varanasi.
By Road Khajuraho is connected by regular bus services with Mahoba,
Harpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and Bhopal.
Best Season September to March.
Around Khajuraho
Benisagar Lake (11 km) - A picnic spot and a dam of the Khudar river.
Ideal for boating and angling.
Ranguan Lake (25 km) - A dam site at the confluence of the Ken and
Simri rivers.
Pandav Waterfall (30 km) - A waterfall on river Ken. The Pandavas
of the Mahabharata are believed to have spent a part of their exile here.
Ranch Waterfalls (20 km) - Waterfalls on the Ken river, famous for
rock formations.
Rajgarh Palace (25 km) - More than 150 years old, this palace nestles
at the foot of the Manjyagarh hills.
Panna (45 km) - A historic town and capital of the Bundela kingdom.
Dhubela Museum (64 km) - The museum is located in an old fort, on
the Jhansi-Khajuraho road. It houses the personal effects of Chhatrasal and
other Bundela rulers.
Ajaygarh Fort (80 km) - An old fort, built at a height of 688 metres,
and capital of the Chandelas during their decline.
Kalinjar Fort (100 km) - The fort is located on the Vindhya range,
38 km away from the Atarra Railway station. It was built during the Gupta
period and captured by Shri Yashovarman, the Chandela king, in the 10th century.
Panna Diamond Mines (56 km) - India's only diamond mines, located
at Majhgawan.
Panna National Park(40 km) - It is spread over 546 sq. km along the
east bank of the river Ken. Dense forest cover, rocky gorges and waterfalls
make for ideal wildlife watching.
Bandhavgarh National Park (237 km)
Lesiure activities - Angling at Benisagar and Ranguan lake. Permission
of the Assistant Director Fisheries Department, Nowgong, Madhya Pradesh is
necessary. Boating facility is available at Benisagar lake.
Map for areas connecting to Khajuraho
Credits
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