Bask
in the Bundelkhand region of Madhaya Pradesh. Spend
a holiday in the terrific temples in verdant forests;
lend your ears to tales of craftsmen who have sung an
ode to life and love through their skills on stone.
Admire myriad moods of life captured superbly on stone.
Find perfect examples of temple architecture in the
erotic sculptures at Khajuraho, which are declared part
of the world heritage sites.
Travel information
By air : A daily Boeing 737 service
links Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, and Kathmandu.
By rail : The nearest railheads are
Jhansi (172 km), Satna (117 km) which are linked to
Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai. From Jhansi and
Satna one can take buses or taxis to Khajuraho.
By road : Khajuraho is connected by
regular buses with Satna, Harpalpur, Jhansi and Mahoba.
The divine sculptures in these temples, are a tribute
to life itself. Embodying everything that is sublime
and spontaneous. The murals depict the life and times
of the Chandelas, while celebrating the erotic state
of being. They not only testify to the mastery of the
craftsman, as also to the vision of the Chandela Rajputs.
Must watching
The Western Group of Temples :
Chaunsat Yogini : This is the oldest
of the surviving temples of Khajuraho. It is dedicated
to goddesses Kali and is the only temple that is built
in granite.
The Kandariya Mahadeo : This is considered
the most evolved example of central Indian temple architecture.
It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the largest of
Khajuraho temples.
The Lakshmana Temple : This is one
of the oldest and finest of the western group of temples.
Themes recurring in the sculptures are battle, hunting,
and women.
The temple of Vishwanath and Nandi : Celebrates
the marriage of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The sculptures
are dominated by women in various attitudes of life
like fondling babies and writing letters.
The temple of Devi Jagdamba : This
is considered to be one of the most erotic temples of
Khajuraho by many. It has the most talked-about image,
mithuna, and the sensuously carved figures.
Other important temples in the western group are the
temples of Lakshmi and Varaha, Mahadev, Chitragupta,
Parvati, and Matangesvara.
Eastern
Group of Temples :
The temple of Parsvanath : This is
the largest of the Jain temples in Khajuraho. It was
originally dedicated to Adinath and later to Parsvanath.
Shantinath : This is the youngest
of all the temples in Khajuraho. It is just a century
old and has a big statue of Adinath.
The temple of Brahma and Hanuman : This
is one of the oldest temples in Khajuraho. It is built
mostly of granite and sandstone and is dedicated to
Lord Vishnu. Mostly in ruins now, the temple of Ghantai
has fine columns and chains and bells, with a figure
of a Jain goddess on a garuda.
The Southern Group :
The southern group only has two temples, the Duladeo
which is newer and built when the creativity of Khajuraho
was deteriorating. The Chaturbhuja Temple has a 3-m-high
statue of Vishnu.
