Khajuraho is a small town located in the Bundelkhand region (Chhatarpur District) of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. A historic city widely acclaimed for its lovely temples, Khajuraho in the State of Madhya Pradesh is located in the woody planes of Bundelkhand region. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love to the world, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were built between 950 and 1050 A.D. Khajuraho present a wonderful blend of architectural and sculptural sheerness, representing one of the preeminent examples of Indian art. Khajuraho has the Vindhya range of mountains as its beautiful backdrop. This makes Khajuraho a more fascinating destination to visit. Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree (the date palm tree) which can be found in abundance in the area. Khajuraho is a well visited tourist center. This village houses several temples built in the Indo Aryan Nagara style of architecture. Khajuraho's art is a manifestation of the essence of the philosophy of Indian aesthetics. The erotic sculptures of Khajuraho depicting Kama Sutra are unique in the world. These sculptures representing the Indo-Aryan architecture, congeal in stone a lyrical paean to love and passion and reflect the Chandela dynasty's passion and immense appreciation for the forbidden art, paradoxically, in the land of Kama Sutra. A variety of opulent approaches, which are languorous, confrontational, impishly tempting, give reliability to the assumption that Khajuraho's erotica were destined to check the devotees who came to adore their gods at the temples. They cannot be passed off as just erotic sculptures, the temples have some of the most revered Gods of Hinduism.
The magnificence and dignity of Khajuraho is due to the innovative thoughts, highly developed artistic sense, and religious commitment of the great Chandela rulers. The Chandela dynasty built eighty-five temples here. Today only twenty remain as an archetype of Indian sculptural art. Being great patrons of art and architecture the Chandelas were enthusiastic in building pretty temples and fabulous forts. A synonym for the medieval splendor, Khajuraho temples illustrate not only the creativity of the craftsman but also the astonishing progressiveness of the illustrious rulers, under whose patronage these amazing structures were envisioned and materialized. Apart from the poetry carved temples, Khajuraho is well known for the cultural extravaganza held every year from 25th February to 2nd March. Khajuraho Dance festival offers an elite platform to showcase the Indian classical dance forms, by which the stones of passion of the temple city will be plugged with the stunning performances of great dancers of India.
Climate :
Summer: Summer 47 Deg. C. 21 Deg. C.
Winter: Winter 32 Deg. C. 4 Deg. C.
Rainfall: 114 cm. July-September
Best Season: October to March.
Get Around :
1) Western Temples : Western Group of Temples in Khajuraho constitutes some of the most splendid and architecturally marvelous specimen of temple architecture in India. The Chaunsat Yogini is the oldest surviving shrine out of the three granite temples dedicated to Goddess Kali. The main temple is the Kandariya Mahadeo. The group includes such magnificent temples like Kandariya Mahadeo Temple, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Lakshamana Temple, Matangeswara Temple, and Varaha Temple. The shrine has an exquisitely carved entrance arch with a variety of themes,captured in stone and frozen in time.
2) Eastern Temple : This group consists mainly of Jain and Hindu temples. The Parsavanath temple is the finest in the group. The carvings depict the timeless beauty of a women. These temples can be subdivided into two groups, one representing some of the finest Jain temples and another scattered through the neighboring village. The Eastern Group of Temples at Khajuraho includes Parsvanath Temple, Adinath Temple, Ghantai Temple, Hanuman temple, and Brhama Temple.
3) Southern Temple : The Southern group of Khajuraho temples consists of only - the Dhuladeo temple, and the Chaturbhuj temple. The former is dedicated to lord Shiva while the latter is dedicated to lord Vishnu. Southern group of temples are five kms from the Khajoraho village. Chaturbhuj temple has a massive, intricately carved image of Vishnu. Duladeo temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Get IN :
By Air : Regular services link Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi.
By Rail : There are direct trains from New Delhi Station (Hazarat Nizamuddin Railway Station),Agra and Varanasi. Train departs from Delhi everyday except Wednesday at 20:15 and reaches 06:15 next morning at Khajuraho Railway Station. The nearest rail heads are Harpalpur (94 Km) and Mahoba (61 Km). Jhansi (172 Km) is a convenient rail head for those traveling from Delhi and Chennai; Satna (117 Km), on the Mumbai-Allahabad line of the Central Railway for those coming from Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.
By Road : Khajuraho is connected by regular buses with Satna, Harpalpur, Jhansi and Mahoba. There are daily bus services with Satna, Jhansi, Harpalpur, Chhatarpur, Mahoba, Sagar,Jabalpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Panna, Agra, Allahabad and Varanasi. From Jhansi railway station catch a rickshaw to Jhansi bus station which is 5 Kms away.
