| About Khajuraho |
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| The temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world, representing, as they do, a paean to life, to love, to joy, perfect in execution and sublime in expression. Life, in every form and mood, has been captured in stone, testifying not only to the craftsman's artistry but also to the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose rule the temples were conceived and constructed, The Khajuraho temples were built in the short span of a hundred yeas, from 950-1050 AD, in a truly inspired burst of creativity. Of the 85 original temples, 22 have survived till today to constitute one of world's great artistic winders. |
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| Khajraho MP |
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| Besides the temples exemplary for their architecture and bold artistic statement, Khajuraho is just a small modest village with no more than 3000 residents surrounded by the forestland. As Khajuraho gets a fair number of tourists from all over the world every year, hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops have sprung up in large numbers at the entrances to the two distinctive groups of temples here. |
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| Sightseeing: |
| Lakshmana Temple |
The large Lakshmana Temple is dedicated to Vishnu, although in design it is similar to the Kandriya Mahadeva and Vishvanath temples. It is one of the earliest of the western enclosure temples, dating from around 930 to 950 AD, and is also one of the best preserved, with a full five-part floor plan and four subsidiary shrines.
Around the temple are two bands of sculpture instead of the usual three; the lower one has fine figures of apsaras and some erotic scenes. Inside are excellent examples of apsaras acting as supporting brackets. On the subsidiary shrine at the south-west corner is an architect working with his students - it is thought this may be the temple's designer including himself in the grand plan. |
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| Kandariya Mahadev |
The first of the temples on the common platform at the back of the western enclosure is not only the largest, it is also artistically and architecturally the most perfect. Built 1025-50, it represents Chandela art at its finest. Although the four subsidiary shrines that once stood around the main temple are long gone, the central shrine is in superb condition and shows the typical five-part design of Khajuraho temples. The main spire is 31m high, and the temple is lavishly carved.
he mithuna on the Kandariya Mahadev include some of the most energetic eroticism to be seen at Khajuraho. |
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| Vishvanath & Nandi |
| Believed to have been built in 1002, this temple has the complete five-part design of the larger Kandariya Mahadev Temple, but two of its four subsidiary shrines still stand. The large image of Shiva's vehicle, the bull Nandi, faces the temple from the other end of the common platform. Steps lead up to this high terrace, flanked by lions on the northern side and elephants on the southern side. |
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| Matangesvara |
| Standing next to the Lakshmana Temple, this temple is not within the fenced enclosure because it is still in everyday use, unlike all the other old Khajuraho temples. It may be the plainest temple here (suggesting that it was one of the first built) but inside it sports a polished lingam, 2.5m high. |
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| Lakshmi & Varaha |
| Facing the large Lakshmana Temple are these two small shrines. The Varaha Temple, dedicated to Vishnu's boar incarnation or Varaha avataar, faces the Matangesvara Temple. Inside this small, open shrine is a huge, solid and intricately carved figure of the boar incarnation, dating from around 900 AD. |
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| Chausath Yogoni & Lalguan Mahadev |
| Standing beyond the tank, some distance from the other western group temples, this ruined temple is probably the oldest at Khajuraho, dating from 900 AD or earlier. It is also the only temple constructed entirely of granite and the only one not aligned east to west. |
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| Mahadeva |
| This small and mainly ruined temple stands on the same base as the Kandariya Mahadev and the Devi Jagadamba. Although small and insignificant compared to its mighty neighbors, it houses one of the Khajuraho's best sculptures - a fine sardula figure caressing a lion. |
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| Devi Jagadamba |
| The third temple on the common platform is slightly older than the Kandariya Mahadev and of a simpler, three-part design. It was probably originally dedicated to Vishnu, but later dedicated to Parvati and then Kali. Some students believe it may still be a Parvati temple and that kali image(or Jagadamba) is actually an image of Parvati, painted black. |
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| Chitragupta |
| The fourth temple at the back of the western enclosure does not share the common platform with the other three. Similar in design to the Devi Jagadamba, this temple is probably slightly newer and is unique at Khajuraho in being dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Attempts have obviously been made at restoration, but it is not in as good condition as other temples. |
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| Parvati |
| Continuing around the enclosure, you come to the Parvati temple on your right. The name is probably incorrect since this small and not so interesting temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu and now has an image of Ganga riding on the back of crocodile. |
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| Jain Museum |
| Outside the Jain enclosure is the modern circular gallery, filled with statues of the 24 tirthankars. |
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| How to Reach Khajuraho |
Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of peninsular India and the meeting point of three oceans-the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. |
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| By Air: Khajuraho has daily domestic flights to and from Agra, Varanasi and Kathmandu. |
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| By Train: The nearest railway stations to Khajuraho are Mahoba, Satna and Jhansi. All of these are well connected to most of the major cities of India. |
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| By Road: Khajuraho has frequent bus services and good roads to and from the major cities of India including Panna, Mahoba, Satna, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Agra and Jhansi. |
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