Khajuraho City Travel Guide
- Madhya Pradesh
General Information Of
Khajuraho
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Area 16.93 sq. km
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Population 6,541
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Altitude 257 m above sea
level
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Languages Hindi and
English
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Best time to visit October
to March
STD code 07686
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Introduction to city Khajuraho -
In Madhya Pradesh
Khajuraho, which has lent its name to a complex of exquisite
Hindu and Jain temples, is a small town located amidst the
forested plains of Bundelkhand in north-central Madhya Pradesh.
The beautiful temples that dot Khajuraho are believed to have
been built by the mighty Chandela rulers in the 9th and 10th
century AD. The engravings on these temples are highly sensual
and erotic that depict in graceful forms intimate scenes of the
whole range of human emotions and relationships. These
sculptures congeal in stone a lyrical paean to love and passion
and reflect the Chandela dynasty/’s immense appreciation for
art.
Architecturally, the temples are built in the north Indian
Nagara style. The sculptor/’s fine skill and a sense of
imagination have given form to human emotion in the form of
spiritual and physical love. Every façade—wall, window, pillar,
and ceiling—is carved with figures of mythical and historical
origins, and while many of these depict full-breasted, girdle-waisted
women in forms of innocent play, they also depict carnal love.
In all 85 temples were built in Khajuraho, but only 22 are left
to speak of the grandeur of conception of the rulers and
architects of the day. The basic ground plan of the temples of
Khajuraho is almost a textbook example of Hindu temple
architecture consisting of four compartments: an entrance porch
(ardhamandap), the vestibule (antarala) and the sanctum
sanctorum (garbhagriha). In some of the large temples an extra
mandap with lateral transepts is added for size and splendour,
converting it into a large assembly hall. The temples rest on a
risen open platform, a distinctive feature of the Khajuraho
temples, with subsidiary shrines at the four corners of the
platform in the bigger temples.
Sightseeing : Places to visit in
destination - Khajuraho
Khajuraho combines history, architecture, culture and
environment with delectable charm. It is a town that takes you
away from the noise and pollution of the city, with its fresh
air and scenic countryside. For convenience, the temples of
Khajuraho are divided into the Western, Eastern, and Southern
groups. The Western Group, situated opposite the
Government of India Tourist Office, has 14 temples. The
Chaunsath Yogini, Lalguan Mahadev, Parvati, Varaha, Matangesvara,
Lakshmana, Vishvanath and Nandi, Chitragupta, Devi Jagdamba and
Kandariya Mahadeo temples belong to this group. The
Eastern Group, 2.4 km from the Tourist Office, consists of
seven temples (four Jain and three Hindu). The Parsvanath,
Adinath, Shantinath, and Ghantai temples belong to the Jains
while the Vamana,
Javari and Brahma
are Hindu temples. The Southern Group, about 5 km from
Khajuraho, contains the Chaturbhuj and Duladeo temples.
Khajuraho Sightseeing :
Places to visit in destination Khajuraho
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Places to visit in the city Khajuraho |
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WESTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES -
Khajuraho
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The Western Group of Temples, in the heart of the town,
are the most famous temples of Khajuraho, with the
mithunas (couples), gandharvas, apsaras, vidyadaras and
kinaras. The images of the apsaras are stunning, with
their sensuous poses and liquid movements. There are the
unforgettable images of a maiden adorning herself before a
mirror, applying kohl on her eyes, plaiting her long hair,
removing a thorn from her foot. The erotic images, almost
acrobatic orgiastic scenes have been associated with
Tantric rituals and practices. However, it/’s not so much
the sexual aspect but the grace, energy and feeling that
strikes one most about these images. The eyes, the face
and the body are poetry of pure emotive movement.
The Kandariya Mahadeo is the biggest and most stunning
temple, with its 800 statues of gods and goddesses, the
marble lingam and the ceiling that rises 31 metres high.
It is considered the most evolved example of central
Indian temple architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this
temple is also the largest of Khajuraho/’s temples.
The Lakshmana Temple has friezes of battle scenes and
erotic poses, depicting both sides of the Chandela
warriors/’ lives. In fact, the eight figures on each
column are supposed to represent each sect of the Tantric
cult. The finely carved inner sanctum has a three-headed
idol of Vishnu/’s incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha.
The Varaha Temple has a 9-feet-high image of the boar
incarnation of Vishnu, gorgeously carved with 474 images.
The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, and
has many group scenes of royal processions, hunting, and
dancing that reflect the lavish lifestyle of the Chandela
courts.
The Devi Jagdamba Temple has a gorgeous image of Parvati.
It is perhaps the most erotic temple of Khajuraho. The
temple houses Khajuraho/’s most talked-about image,
mithuna, and the sensuously carved figures. However, till
today it is not clear as to which deity this temple is
dedicated.
The Matangesvara Temple has a 2.5-metre-high polished
lingam of Shiva. This is the only temple that is actively
used for worship.
The temple of Vishvanath and Nandi celebrates the marriage
of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The temple draws attention by
its provocative depiction of women.
Chaunsath Yogini is dedicated to goddesses Kali. It is the
oldest of the surviving temples of Khajuraho. The only
temple in Khajuraho to be built of granite, the name of
the temple is derived from the cells of 64 attendants of
Goddess Kali (chaunsath: sixty-four).
The gardens around the Western temples are picturesque and
become a spectacle of colour and light during the
Khajuraho dance festival. |
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EASTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES -
Khajuraho
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The Eastern temples are partly Jain and partly Hindu. The
most striking is the Parsvanath Temple, with its exquisite
sculptures depicting everyday activity. There is a
bull-emblem of the first Tirthankara, Adinath. It is a
fine instance of sensitive art without any sexual motifs.
In the vicinity of this temple is the temple of Adinath,
which has some fine carvings. The temple is structurally
similar to the Hindu temples of Khajuraho. In fact, it is
this Jain-Hindu combination that is singularly interesting
about the Eastern Group of temples. Only a century old,
Shantinath is the most recent of all the temples in
Khajuraho. Visited by the Digambar Jains, the temple
houses a four and a half metre statue of Adinath. The
Ghantai Temple, mostly in ruins now, has fine columns and
chains and bells, with a figure of a Jain goddess on a
garuda. Mainly built of granite and sandstone, the temple
of Brahma and Hanuman is one of the oldest temples in
Khajuraho. Strange though it may seem, the temple is
actually dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Close by is a Hanuman
temple reputed to have the earliest inscription dating
back to AD 922 on a 2½-metre statue. The Javari and Vamana
are two other notable temples of the Eastern Group.
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THE SOUTHERN GROUP OF
TEMPLES - Khajuraho
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The southern group of temples contains only two temples.
The Duladeo Temple apparently is newer of the two and was
built at a time when the creativity of Khajuraho was well
below its peak. The other is the Chaturbhuj Temple,
located far from the village. The temple houses a three-metre-high
statue of Vishnu. |
Excursions : Places nearby city
- Khajuraho
Even though Khajuraho’s temples are its biggest attraction,
there are other interesting sights in its vicinity which can be
visited on a daylong trip. There is the Ken Gharial Sanctuary,
120 km away, which is rough and wild, with its gorges, rocks and
the lovely Ken River. The Panna National Park, 40 km from
Khajuraho, is home to a variety of wildlife. The
Dhubela Museum
(64 km), on the Jhansi-Khajuraho road, houses the weapons,
paintings, and sculptures of the Bundela kings as well as a wide
variety of sculptures of the Shakti cult. The Pandav Falls,
Raigarh Palace, Bandhavgarh, and Ajaygarh Fort are other
important places worth visiting.
Khajuraho Excursion :
Places nearby Khajuraho - Madhya Pradesh
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Places to visit nearby destination - Khajuraho |
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Ajaygarh Fort
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The Ajaygarh Fort is a distance of 80 km from Khajuraho.
Built at a height of 688 metres, it was the capital of the
Chandelas in their declining years. Another fort is
Kalinjar, located on the Vindhya Range at a distance of
100 km. Built during the Gupta period, the fort was
captured by Shri Yashovarman, the Chandela king, in the
10th century. |
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Bandhavgarh
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Bandhavgarh, around 237 km from Khajuraho, is situated in
the heart of the Vindhya Mountain range. The landscape
here is dominated by the 14th-century Bandhavgarh Fort.
Besides the fort, there are a large number of caves with
inscriptions dating back to the prehistoric period.
However, Bandhavgarh is gaining popularity in recent times
because of its national park. The first white tiger was
sighted here in 1951. |
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Dhubela Museum
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Dhubela Museum is located in a fort, 64 km away from
Khajuraho. The museum houses a wide variety of sculpture
of the Shakti cult. There are also garments, weapons, and
paintings of the Bundela kings. |
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Pandav Falls
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On the Ken River is Pandav Falls, 30 km from Khajuraho. It
is believed that the Pandavas spent some years of their
exile here, hence the name. Another waterfall, the Ranch,
is situated at a distance of 25 km from the Pandav Falls. |
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Panna National Park
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Panna (40 km) is a historical city famous for its temples.
It was the erstwhile capital of the Bundela kingdom.
However, today it is more renowned for the Panna National
Park that is spread over 546 km on the bank of the Ken
River. An ideal place for wildlife lovers, the park is
visited by thousands of tourists every year. The best time
to visit the park is early morning, and drive in an open
jeep through the thick, wild vegetation. You can see a
variety of birds (blossom-headed parakeet, red-belted cap
wing, weaver, tree-pie), antelopes, chinkaras, sambars,
and boars. And if you are lucky enough, you can also catch
sight of the elusive tiger. Panna also has one of the most
famous diamond mines of the world at Majhganwa. The Panna
mines are the only working diamond mines in India and the
largest in Asia. |
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Raigarh Palace
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The Rajgarh Palace is at the foot of Maniyagarh hills,
around 25 km from Khajuraho. Around 150 years old, the
palace has been converted into a heritage hotel. |
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