Khajuraho Temples

Khajuraho has one of the exotic temples and sculptures to see and discover. I went a year back to Khajuraho and was taken aback by the perfection and beauty. I was accompanied with one friend Ashley, he works for ASI (Archeology Survey Of India). He gave me every detail of the temples and and I wrote this article last year and was thinking to post and at last its on my blog. Thanks to Ashley for his great contributions, this is for you Ash !

The resplendent Hindu temples of KHAJURAHO, immaculately restored after almost a millennium of abandonment and neglect, are among the most essential stops on any itinerary of India's historic monuments. Famed above all for the delicate sensuality - and forthright eroticism - of their sculpture, they were built between the tenth and twelfth centuries AD as the greatest architectural achievement of the Chandella dynasty. Mysteriously, the Chandellas appear to have forgotten about the temples soon afterwards, and it took "rediscovery" by the British before these masterpieces were fully appreciated in India, let alone internationally. Excavations are ongoing. Some 400km southeast of Agra and the same distance west of Varanasi, Khajuraho might look central on maps of the subcontinent, but remains as remote from the Indian mainstream as it was when the temples were built - which is presumably what spared them the depredations of the marauders, invaders and zealots who devastated so many early Hindu sites. No train routes cross this extended flood plain, set against the backdrop of the jagged Dantla hills, and visitors who don't fly straight here are faced with a long bus journey from either of the nearest railheads.

The exquisite intricacy of the temples themselves - of which the most spectacular are Kandariya Mahadeva, Vishvanatha and Lakshmana, all in the conglomeration known as the Western Group - was made possible by the soft buff-coloured sandstone used in their construction. Considering the propensity of such stone to crumble, they have withstood the ravages of time remarkably well. Much of the ornate sculpture that adorns their walls is in such high relief as to be virtually three-dimensional, with strains of pink in the stone helping to imbue the figures with gentle flesh-like tones. The incredible skill of the artisans is evident throughout, with friezes as little as 10cm wide crammed with naturalistic details of ornaments, jewellery, hairstyles and even manicured nails. A huge congregation of gods and goddesses are everywhere in attendance. To add to the beauty of the whole ensemble, the temples subtly change hue as the day progresses, passing from a warm pink at sunrise, to white under the midday sun, and back to warm pink at sunset. Dramatic floodlights pick them out in the evening, and they glow white when the moon is out. The sheer splendour of the temples rather overshadows Khajuraho village, where most local people live and which is increasing in hotels and trinket shops fed by the daily tourist invasion. However, if you stay around a night or two, you'll discover a relaxed pace of life that exists apart from the temple scene, especially in the evening when the local market and open-air restaurants create a very social atmosphere.

The Western Group
Stranded like a fleet of stone ships amid pristine lawns and flowerbeds fringed with bougainvillea, Khajuraho's Western Group of temples (daily sunrise-6.45pm; Rs250 [Rs10]) seem oddly divorced from their past. With the exception of Matangesvara, just outside the main complex, all are now virtually devoid of religious significance, and only spring back to life during Shivratri. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering individual temples. MPSTDC offers informative Walkman tours of the Western Group (around 45min; Rs50 plus Rs500 deposit), which are available from any of their hotels, the tourist offices or at the temple booking office. An excellent son-et-lumière show in the grounds of the Western group uses Indian classical music and impressive technicolour floodlighting to give ambience to the history of the temples, as narrated by the "master sculptor" (nightly English show: March-Aug 7.30pm; Sept-Feb 6.30pm; 50min; Rs200).

• Varaha - Just inside the complex a small open mandapa pavilion, built between the tenth and eleventh centuries, houses a huge, highly polished sandstone image of Vishnu as the boar - Varaha. Carved in low relief on its body, 674 figures in neat rows represent the major gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Lord of the earth, water and heaven, the alert boar straddles Shesha the serpent, accompanied by what T.S. Burt conjectured must have been the most beautiful form of Prithvi, the earth goddess - all that remains are her feet, and a hand on the neck of the boar. Above the image the lotus ceiling stands out in relief.
• Lakshman - Beyond Varaha, adjacent to the Matangesvara temple across the boundary wall, the richly carved Lakshmana temple, dating from around 950 AD, is the oldest of the Western Group. It stands on a high plinth covered with processional friezes of horses, elephants and camels, as well as soldiers, domestic scenes, musicians and dancers. Among explicit sexual images is a man sodomizing a horse, flanked by shocked female onlookers. The sheer energy of the work gives the whole temple an astounding sense of movement and vitality. While the plinth depicts the human world, the temple itself, the adhisthana, brings one into contact with the celestial realm. Two tiers of carved panels decorate its exterior, with gods and goddesses attended by apsaras, "celestial nymphs", and figures in complicated sexual acts on the lower tier and in the recesses. Fine detail includes a magnificent dancing Ganesh on the south face, a master architect with his students on the east, and heavenly musicians and dancers. Successive pyramidal roofs over the mandapa and the porch rise to a clustered tower made of identical superimposed elements. Small porches with sloping eaves project from the mandapa and passageway, with exquisite columns, each with eight figures, at each corner of the platform supported by superb brackets in the form of apsaras. The inner sanctum, the garbha griha, is reached through a door whose lintel shows Vishnu's consort Lakshmi, accompanied by Brahma and Shiva; a frieze depicts the Navagraha, the nine planets. Inside, the main image is of Vishnu as the triple-headed, four-armed Vaikuntha, attended by his incarnations as boar and lion.
• Kandariya Mahadeva - Sharing a common platform with other temples in the western corner of the enclosure, the majestic Kandariya Mahadeva temple, built between 1025 and 1050 AD, is the largest and most imposing of the Western Group. A perfect consummation of the five-part design instigated in Lakshmana and Vishvanatha, this Shiva temple represents the pinnacle of Chandellan art, its ornate roofs soaring dramatically to culminate 31m above the base in a shikhara that consists of 84 smaller replicas. Kandariya Mahadeva is especially popular with visitors for the extraordinarily energetic and provocative erotica that ornaments its three tiers, covering almost every facet of the exterior. Admiring crowds can always be found in front of a particularly fine image of a couple locked in mithuna (sexual intercourse) with a maiden assisting on either side. One of Khajuraho's most familiar motifs, it seems to defy nature, with the male figure suspended upside down on his head; only when considered as if from above do the sinuous intertwined limbs begin to make sense. An elaborate garland at the entrance to the temple, carved from a single stone, acts as a torana, the ritual gateway of a marriage procession. Both inside and out, lavish and intricate images of gods, goddesses, musicians and nymphs celebrate the occasion; within the sanctuary a dark passage leads to the garbha griha and its central shivalingam. Niches along the exterior contain images of Ganesh, Virabhadra and the Sapta Matrikas, the Seven Mothers responsible for dressing the bridegroom, Shiva. Wrathful deities and fearsome protectors, the seven consist of Brahmi, a female counterpart of Shiva, seated on the swan of Brahma; a three-eyed Maheshvari on Shiva's bull Nandi; Kumari; Vaishnavi, seated on the bird Garuda; Varahi, the female form of Vishnu as the boar; Narasimhi, the female form of Vishnu as lion; and the terrifying Chamunda, the slayer of the asuras or "demons" Chanda and Munda, and the only one of the Sapta Matrikas who is not a female representation of a major male god.
• Devi Jagadambi - North of Kandariya Mahadeva along the platform, the earlier Devi Jagadambi temple is a simpler structure, whose outer walls lack projecting balconies. Originally dedicated to Vishnu, its prominent mandapa is capped by a massive pyramidal roof. Three bhandas (belts) bind the jangha (body), adorned with exquisite and sensuous carvings; the erotica on the third is arguably the finest in Khajuraho. Vishnu appears throughout the panels, all decorated with sinuous figures of nymphs, gods and goddesses, some in amorous embrace. Some consider the image in the temple sanctum to be a standing Parvati, others argue that it is the black goddess Kali, known here as Jagadambi. Between Kandariya Mahadeva and Jagadambi, the remains of Mahadeva temple shelter a metre-high lion accompanied by a figure of indeterminate sex. Recurring throughout Khajuraho, the highly stylized lion motif, seen here rearing itself over a kneeling warrior with drawn sword, may have been an emblem of the Chandellas.
• Chitragupta - Beyond the platform, and similar to its southern neighbour, Jagadambi, the heavily (and in places clumsily) restored Chitragupta temple is unusual in being dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Once again its design emphasizes the mandapa rather than the main temple. Ornate depictions of hunting scenes, nymphs and dancing girls accompany processional friezes, while on the southern aspect a particularly vigorous ten-headed Vishnu embodies all his ten incarnations. Within the inner chamber, the fiery Surya rides a chariot driven by seven horses. The small and relatively insignificant temple in front of Chitragupta, also heavily restored and now known as Parvati, may originally have been a Vishnu temple, but holds an interesting image of the goddess Ganga riding on a crocodile.
• Vishvanatha - Laid out along the same lines as Lakshmana, Vishvanatha, in the northeast corner of the enclosure - the third of the three main Western Group shrines - can be precisely dated to 1002 AD as the work of the ruler Dhangadeva. Unlike some other temples at Khajuraho, which may have changed their presiding deities, Vishvanatha is most definitely a Shiva temple, as confirmed by the open mandapa pavilion in front of the main temple, where a monolithic seated Nandi waits obediently. Large panels between the balconies once more show mithuna, with amorous couples embracing among the sensuous nymphs. Idealized representations of the female form include women in such poses as writing letters, playing music and fondling babies. Decorative elephant motifs appear to the south of Vishvanatha, and lions guard its northern aspect.
• Matangesvara - The simplicity of the Matangesvara temple, outside the complex gates, shows it to be one of Khajuraho's oldest structures, but although built early in the tenth century it remains in everyday use. Deep balconies project from the walls of its circular sanctuary, inside which a pillar-like shivalingam emerges from the pedestal yoni, the vulva - the recurring symbol of the union of Shiva. During the annual festival of Shivratri, the great wedding of Shiva and Parvati, the shrine becomes a hive of activity, drawing pilgrims for ceremonies that hark back to Khajuraho's distant past.
• Chausath Yogini - Southwest of Shiv Sagar lie the remains of the curious temple of Chausath Yogini - the "Sixty-Four Yoginis". Dating from the ninth century, it consists of 35 small granite shrines clustered around a quadrangle; there were originally 64 shrines, with the presiding goddess's temple at the centre. Only fourteen other temples, all in northern India, are known to have been dedicated to these wrathful and bloodthirsty female attendants of the goddess Kali; art historians surmise that the site was used by an esoteric Tantric group. Around 1km further west lie the ruins of Lalguan Mahadev, a small temple dedicated to Shiva.

The Eastern Group
The two separate networks of temples that make up Cunningham's Eastern Group (daily sunrise-sunset; free) are reached via the two forks of the road east of town. One is the tightly clustered Jain Group, while slightly north there are a number of shrines and two larger temples, Vamana and Javari. On the north side of Jain Temples Road a comparatively new temple holds a two-metre-high image of the monkey god Hanuman that may predate all of Khajuraho's temples and shrines. As the road forks left along the eastern shore of the murky Khajur Sagar lake, at the edge of Khajuraho village, it passes the remains of a single-room temple erroneously referred to as the Brahma temple. Often considered to be a Vishnu temple, it is in fact a shrine to Shiva, as demonstrated by its chaturmukha - "four-faced" - lingam. While the eastern and western faces carry benign expressions, and the north face bears the gentler aspect of Uma, the female manifestation of Shiva, the ferocious southern face is surrounded by images of death and destruction. Crowning the lingam is the rounded form of Sadashiva, Shiva the Infinite at the centre of the cosmos.The dirt road continues to the small Javari temple. Built late in the eleventh century, it may not have the exuberance seen elsewhere but nevertheless contains some fine sculpture, including nymphets in classic Khajuraho style. The largest of the Khajuraho village temples, Vamana, stands alone in a field 200m further north. Erected slightly earlier than Javari, in a fully evolved Chandella style, Vamana has a simple uncluttered shikhara that rises in bands covered with arch-like motifs. Figures including seductive celestial nymphs form two bands around the jangha, the body of the temple, while a superb doorway leads to the inner sanctum, which is dedicated to Vamana, an incarnation of Vishnu. On the way to the Jain Group, the road runs near what survives of a late-tenth-century temple, known as Ghantai for its fine columns sporting bells (ghantai), garlands and other motifs.

The temple of Parsvanath, dominating the walled enclosure of the Jain Group, is probably older than the main temples of Khajuraho, judging by its relatively simple ground plan. Its origins are a mystery; although officially classified as a Jain monument, and jointly administered by the Archeological Survey and the Jain community, it may have been a Hindu temple that was donated to the Jain community which settled here at a later date. Certainly, the animated sculpture of Khajuraho's other Hindu temples is well represented on the two horizontal bands around the walls, and the upper one is crowded with Hindu gods in intimate entanglements. Among Khajuraho's finest work, they include Brahma and his consort; a beautiful Vishnu; a rare image of the god of love, Kama, shown with his quiver of flower arrows embracing his consort Rati; and two graceful female figures, one applying kohl to her eyes and another removing a thorn from her foot. A narrow strip above the two main bands depicts celestial musicians (gandharvas) playing cymbals, drums, stringed instruments and flutes. Inside, beyond an ornate hall, a black monolithic stone is dedicated to the Jain lord Parsvanath, inaugurated as recently as 1860 to replace an image of another tirthankara, Adinath. Immediately north of Parsvanath, Adinath's own temple, similar but smaller, has undergone drastic renovation. Three tiers of sculpture surround its original structure, of which only the sanctum, shikhara and vestibule survive; the incongruous mandapa is a much later addition. Inside the garbha griha stands the black image of the tirthankara Adinath himself. The huge 4.5-metre-high statue of the sixteenth tirthankara, Shantinath, in his newer temple, is the most important image in this working Jain complex. With its slender beehive shikharas, the temple attracts pilgrims from all over India, including naked sadhus. Sculpture in the small circular Jain Museum, at the entrance to the Jain temples, includes representations of all twenty-four tirthankaras (Mon-Sat 7am-6pm; Rs5).

• Parsvanatha Temple - The largest Jain temple of the Eastern group, Parsvanath temple has intricate stone carvings, especially, the sculptures on the northern outer wall of the temple are certainly praiseworthy. It enshrines a throne facing the bull emblem that represents the the first tirthankara, Adinatha.
• Ghantai Temple - This Jain temple has remarkable frescos depicting the 16 dreams of the mother of Lord Mahavira at the time of his birth and a Jain goddess mounted on a winged Garuda.
• Adinatha Temple - This temple is richly ornamented with delicate and pretty scultures including those of yakshis. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara (saint), Adinath.

The Southern Group

Khajuraho's Southern Group consists of three widely separated temples. The nearest to town, Duladeo, is down a dirt track south of the Jain Group, 1.5km from the main square. Built early in the twelfth century, Duladeo bears witness to the decline of temple architecture in the late Chandellan period, noticeable above all in its sculpture that lacks Khajuraho's hallmark fluidity. Nonetheless, its main hall does contain some exquisite carving, and the angular rippled exterior of the main temple is unique to Khajuraho. Across the Khodar stream and south along Airport Road, a small road leads left to the disproportionately tall, tapering Chaturbhuj - the shikhara is visible for miles above the trees. A forerunner to Duladeo, built around 1100 AD and bearing some resemblance to the Javari temple of the Eastern Group, Chaturbhuj is plainer than Duladeo and devoid of erotica. A remarkable 2.7-metre-high image of Vishnu graces its inner sanctum. To reach the third temple, Bija Math, return to the cluster of houses before Chaturbhuj and take a right along the dirt track through the hamlet. The structure lay below a suspiciously large mound of mud (tela) until 1998, when the ASI undertook an excavation project and discovered the delicately carved platform. Unfortunately, the temple itself has disintegrated into the debris of ornate sculpture lying strewn around the site. You can go and watch the archeologists at work, patiently brushing the mud away to reveal parading elephants, intertwined lovers and rearing horses.

• Duladeo Temple - This Shaiva temple is known for flaunting the striking images of the celestial maidens or apsaras and richly ornamented figures.
• Chaturbhuja Temple - It is the huge imposing intricately carved image of Lord Vishnu in the temple's sanctum, which is the chief attraction of the temple.

Arrival and information
The easiest way to get to Khajuraho is on flight from Delhi (via Agra), or Varanasi (4 weekly). The local airport is 5km south of the main square of Khajuraho village; the taxi ride in costs Rs100. The two nearest railheads are at Jhansi to the northwest, and Satna to the southeast; both are connected by bus. All buses terminate less than 1km southeast of the main square at the bus stand, within walking distance of most central hotels; a cycle rickshaw will set you back Rs10, an auto-rickshaw Rs15. The Government of India tourist office, on the main square, is efficient (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 8am-noon;). The MP tourism office, in the Chandella Cultural Centre 2km northeast of the main square (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; closed second and third Sat of the month), can book accommodation and car rental. Money can be changed at the efficient State Bank of India on the main square (Mon-Fri 10.30am-2.30pm & 3-5pm; Sat 10.30am-2.30pm); there's a post office near the bus stand. Internet facilities (Rs40/hr) are available near Raja Café and around the Jain Temples, but the connection is painfully slow and often unreliable.


Getting around
Khajuraho is no more than an overgrown cluster of tiny villages, with no public transport, and visitors are dependent on the various rented vehicles in competition with each other. Taxis and rental cars are available at the main square; through the nearby Gems & Handicrafts shops. Typical costs are Rs500 for half a day, and Rs600 plus Rs6 per km for longer journeys. Cycle rickshaw drivers ask around Rs30 per hour; trips to the Eastern or Southern groups from the main square are Rs40, and a tour of all the temples costs Rs100. Auto-rickshaws charge Rs150 for a half-day, or Rs250 for a full day of temple-spotting. With virtually empty roads, a bicycle is by far the most enjoyable way of getting around. Among recommended and highly experienced guides who can help you make sense of Khajuraho. Guide rates are set by the government at Rs375 for one to four people for a half-day, Rs500 for a full day; there's a Rs180 surcharge for tours in languages other than Hindi and English.


Accomodation
There's a hotel in Khajuraho to suit every budget, and not a single fleapit in sight. The exclusive, deluxe places are virtually identical and a bit secluded, whereas the mid-range and budget accommodation is around the village centre, near the Western Group. In the slow summer season, you can negotiate a good discount at all hotels.


The Village
Facilities for visitors are concentrated in the uncluttered avenues of the small village of Khajuraho; the gates of the Western Group of temples open immediately onto its main square, which is surrounded by budget hotels, cafés and curio shops where you should brace yourself for some hard selling. If you aren't up to the haggling, head instead for the Khandariya Art and Cultural Centre, 1km south of the centre, an upmarket emporium offering quality goods at fixed price; in the same complex, an auditorium hosts evening dance shows at (daily 7 & 8pm; Rs300). On the south side of the main square, the small Archeological Museum (daily except Fri 10am-5pm; Rs5) is principally noteworthy for a remarkable sculpture of a pot-bellied dancing Ganesh.

Khajuraho is transformed into a bustling epicentre during Phalguna (Feb/March), when the festival of Maha Shivratri draws pilgrims from all over the region to commemorate the marriage of Shiva. It also sees one of India's premier dance events, the Khajuraho Festival of Dance - a showcase for all forms of classical dance with some performances staged against the stunning backdrop of the Western Group (though most take place at the more prosaic Chandella Cultural Centre). Precise dates for the festival tend to be confirmed late, so check with Government of India tourist authorities, and book early. Tickets for specific events cost between Rs40 and Rs200. A season ticket costs Rs500.

Moving on from Khajuraho
The first daily express MPSTRC bus leaves at 9am for Jhansi (4hr 30min), 175km west, then moves directly on to Gwalior and Agra (8hr). Alternatively, the most comfortable bus leaves for Jhansi at 11.15am to connect with night trains north and express trains running to Delhi and Agra, or Bhopal and Mumbai. The super-fast a/c Shatabdi Express #2001 train via Gwalior and Agra to Delhi departs from Jhansi at 5.55pm. A number of private buses also run the Jhansi route, departing at 5.30am, 12.30pm, 3.15pm and 4.15pm and a MPSTRC bus leaves at 7pm daily for Bhopal. Agents and hotels all display bus timetables.

Between 7.30am and 3.30pm daily, six buses set out for Satna (4hr 30min), 125km east, which is served by trains on the Mumbai-Varanasi-Kolkata network, as well as to Gorakhpur, from where buses head for the Nepal border. If you're heading to Varanasi, 415km east, either take the 4.30pm overnight bus from Khajuraho, or expect a long wait in Satna: night trains (8hr) leave daily at 7.50pm, while the daily morning departure (7-8hr) leaves at 7.05am. The best train for Jabalpur is the Mahanagiri Express #1094, which leaves Satna daily at 5.55pm (3hr). An alternative route to Varanasi is to take one of the eleven daily buses north to Mahoba (first bus 6am, last 10.30pm; 3hr), from where the Bundelkhand Express #1107 train to Varanasi departs at 10.35pm (12hr).

There is an extremely efficient computerized train booking office at the bus stand (daily 8am-5pm). All train tickets can be reserved up to five days in advance, and it saves the long queues in Jhansi, Mahoba or Satna. There are fewer services in the monsoon season. Flights can be heavily booked, and note that with a late reservation you may be promised a confirmation, but can only be sure of a place on the flight at the airport, shortly before departure; allow a little leeway in case your flight is delayed, and be patient.

Khajuraho now has a good range of places to stay and eat. Some of the best and inexpensive places of accomodation are :-

• Casa Di William Hotel
• Chandela Hotel
• Clarks Hotel
• Gem Palace Hotel
• Holiday Inn Hotel
• Jain Hotel
• Jass Trident Hotel
• Jhankar Hotel
• Lakeside Hotel
• Payal Hotel
• Siddharth Hotel
• Surya Hotel
• Rahil Hotel
• Usha Bundela
• Zen Hotel

If you are planning to visit Khajuraho you can refer the Khajuraho Accomodation Guide.

Note : I think i have written a long post, but I couldnt help, There is so much to see and know in Khajuraho. Its a kingdom and to cover all I had to be lenghthy. Hope you find the information helpful.