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Khajuraho Temples in India

Location of Khajuraho
"Stunning and inspiring in the way they fuse the sacred and the erotic in their architecture, the famous temples of Khajuraho stands as a unique testament to the arts of love"...,Khajuraho in India lies about 385 miles southeast of Delhi in the Bundelkhand region of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Climate & Best Time to Visit
Khajuraho experiences a tropical climate with temperature exceeding 40° degree C in the summers, while winter temperature drops down to about 5°C. Monsoon lasts till the month of September starting from July. The ideal time to visit Khajuraho is between October to March.

About Khajuraho
Kahjuraho was once the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs, who ruled from 10th to 12th century. The place is the next best tourist destination after the Taj Mahal to be visited due to its marvellous temples each signifying an accomplishment of beauty, love and refined creative art filled with sublimal sensuality.

The Temples of Khajuraho celebrates women and her myriad moods in brushing her hair, dancing in joy, coquettish and seductive appeals with consumate artistry. The philosophy of the age - the enjoyment of Arth (material wealth) and Kama (sensual pleasure) while performing one's Dharma(duty) as the accepted way of life for the grihasta meaning household, is depicted here.The powerful combination of the visual and the sensuous brings about a powerful union of the body and soul.

History of Khajuraho Sculptures Adorning Lakshman, Khajuraho

Khajuraho or 'Khajur-vahika' the bearer of date palms, was also known as 'Khajjurpura' in ancient times. It evidently derives its name from the golden date palms "khajur" that adornes its city gates. However, if a different legendary versions are to be believed, it owes its existence to an enchanting maiden named Hemvati. Hemvati was the beautiful daughter of Hemraj, the royal priest of Kashi now Varanasi. One summer night, while she was bathing in the sparkling waters of a lotus-filled pond, the Moon god was so awestruck by her beauty that he descended to earth in human form and ravished her.

To make amends for his folly the Moon god promised that she would become the mother of a valiant son. 'Take him to Khajjurpura', he is believed to have said. 'He will be a great king and build numerous temples surrounded by lakes and gardens'. Following his instructions, Hemvati left her home to give birth to her son in a tiny village. King Chandravarman, was as lustrous as his father, brave and strong. At his mother's request he began the building of 85 glorious temples with lakes and gardens at Khajuraho.

Major attractions in Khajuraho
The Temples in Khajuraho are assimilated in to three geographical divisions; western, eastern and southern.

The Western Group of Temples
Kandaria Mahadev - The largest and the most typical contains about 900 status, dedicated to lord Shiva. It sours to a height of 31 meters.The sanctum enshrines a lingum while the main shrine consists of gods and goddesses with apsaras in elaborate detail. The entrance arch, the massive pillars, portico, main hall are adorned with exquisite carvings. Besides the main sikhara tower, there are 84 smaller subsidiary tower.

The Laksman Temple - is the best preserved of the temples with carving all around .The sanctum doorway has a panel of incarnations of Lord Vishnu. There is also a panel of the 9 planets. There are carvings of Krishna on the walls. The pancha-rath sanctum has a three-headed, four armed form of Lord Vishnu surrounded by 10 different incarnations.

The Chitragupta Temple - Dedicated to the sun-god Surya , the temple of the early 11th century faces east ward to the rising sun. The inner sanctum boast of an impressive image of the deity - the majestic sun god looming 5 feet high and driving a chariot.

Parsvanatha Temple Sculptures, Khajuraho

Parsvanatha Temple Sculptures, Khajuraho

The Eastern Group of Temples
The Eastern group mainly consists of Jain temples. Ther are three Jain temples within an enclosure wall.

The Parsvanath Temples built in the mid 10th century is the largest .There are many beautiful Vaishnava Deities carved on the walls of the temples. The temple was originally dedicated to Adinath but the image of Parsvanath was placed in the sanctum in 1860.

The Santinath Temple with a 4.5m statue of Adinath, is the main place of worship.The inscriptions dates back to 1027AD.

The three Hindu temples in the group are the Brahma Temple, which has a four -faced lingum, The Vamana Temple embellished with images of apsaras at their alluring best,and the Javari Temple with a variety of sensuous attitudes mischievous ,sensuous and provocative, giving credibility to Khajuraho's eroticism.

The Southern Group of Temples
The southern group lies 5kms from Khajuraho village.

The Chaturbhuj Temple has an excellent sanctum which contains a 2.7metre and four armed Dakshina-Murti image of lord Shiva. The

Duladeo temple was the last Chandela temple in Khajuraho.

How to Reach Khajuraho
By Air - A daily Boeing 737 service links Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Kathmandu.
By Rail - The nearest railway station are Mahoba (64 km), Harpalpur (94 km). Jhansi (175 km) and Satna (117 km), and are convenient for visitors from any places in India.
By Road - Khajuraho is connected by regular bus services with major cities like Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and Bhopal.

Accommodation in Khajuraho

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