Khajuraho
- Khajuraho, the land of erotic temples, is a small village situated in
Madhya Pradesh, India. Built in 'Nagara' style of architecture in
10th-11th century, the sculptures and images engraved on the walls of
temples depicts passion, eroticism, dance and music. These temples
showcase how mature the Indian civilization was at that time. There were
a total of 85 temples built but only 22 of them have survived the
cruelty of harsh weather and time.
The world renowned archeological village was once the capital of
Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty. There is an interesting legend that
connects the temples and Chandela dynasty. As per the legend the royal
priest of Kashi had a beautiful daughter named, Hemavati. One night,
while she was bathing in river Rati, the Moon God got amazed by her
beauty. Out of passion and lust, he descended to earth in human form and
ravished her. From their union, Hemavati gave birth to their son,
Chandravarman in a small village. That boy later founded the Chandela
dynasty. As per his mother wish he built these temples revealing human
passion.
The major tourist attractions of Khajuraho are obviously its temples.
The temples of Khajuraho are divided into three sects - western, eastern
and southern group. The western group is the largest and the most famous
one. Kandariya Mahadeo is the largest temple of all and is dedicated to
Lord Shiva. The Lakshmana temple is yet another beautiful temple
showcasing the divine trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Lord
Vishnu. Chaunsath Yogini, Chitragupta, Vishwanatha and Matangeshwara are
other major temples. In the eastern sect of temples, Parsavnath temple
is the biggest Jain temple and is a beautiful example of sensitive art.
The other temples are Adinath, Shantinath, Ghantai, Vamana and Javari
temples. There are only temples in Southern group. They are Duladeo
temple and Chaturbhuja temple. Apart from these temples, State museum of
Tribal and Folk Arts is also a must visit destination. This museum has a
wide collection of Indian art and craft artifacts.
Air - Khajuraho has its own Airport and is connected major
metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.
Rail - The nearest Railway Stations are Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna
and Jhansi. They are convenient railheads for those traveling from
Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Varanasi and Agra.
Road - Khajuraho is well connected with regular and direct bus
services with Chattarpur, Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Agra,
Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi and Allahabad.
