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in the Bundelkhand region of Madhaya Pradesh. Spend a holiday in the
terrific temples in verdant forests; lend your ears to tales of craftsmen
who have sung an ode to life and love through their skills on stone. Admire
myriad moods of life captured superbly on stone. Find perfect examples of
temple architecture in the erotic sculptures at Khajuraho, which are
declared part of the world heritage sites.
Travel information
By air : A daily Boeing 737 service links Khajuraho with
Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, and Kathmandu.
By rail : The nearest railheads are Jhansi (172 km),
Satna (117 km) which are linked to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai. From
Jhansi and Satna one can take buses or taxis to Khajuraho.
By road : Khajuraho is connected by regular buses with
Satna, Harpalpur, Jhansi and Mahoba.
The divine sculptures in these temples, are a tribute to life itself.
Embodying everything that is sublime and spontaneous. The murals depict the
life and times of the Chandelas, while celebrating the erotic state of
being. They not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, as also to the
vision of the Chandela Rajputs.
Must watching
The Western Group of Temples :
Chaunsat Yogini : This is the oldest of the surviving
temples of Khajuraho. It is dedicated to goddesses Kali and is the only
temple that is built in granite.
The Kandariya Mahadeo : This is considered the most
evolved example of central Indian temple architecture. It is dedicated to
Lord Shiva and is the largest of Khajuraho temples.
The Lakshmana Temple : This is one of the oldest and
finest of the western group of temples. Themes recurring in the sculptures
are battle, hunting, and women.
The temple of Vishwanath and Nandi : Celebrates the
marriage of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The sculptures are dominated by women
in various attitudes of life like fondling babies and writing letters.
The temple of Devi Jagdamba : This is considered to be
one of the most erotic temples of Khajuraho by many. It has the most
talked-about image, mithuna, and the sensuously carved figures.
Other important temples in the western group are the temples of Lakshmi and
Varaha, Mahadev, Chitragupta, Parvati, and Matangesvara.
Eastern
Group of Temples :
The temple of Parsvanath : This is the largest of the
Jain temples in Khajuraho. It was originally dedicated to Adinath and later
to Parsvanath.
Shantinath : This is the youngest of all the temples in
Khajuraho. It is just a century old and has a big statue of Adinath.
The temple of Brahma and Hanuman : This is one of the
oldest temples in Khajuraho. It is built mostly of granite and sandstone and
is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Mostly in ruins now, the temple of Ghantai has
fine columns and chains and bells, with a figure of a Jain goddess on a
garuda.
The Southern Group :
The southern group only has two temples, the Duladeo which is newer and
built when the creativity of Khajuraho was deteriorating. The Chaturbhuja
Temple has a 3-m-high statue of Vishnu.
