Temple town of Khajuraho is much different from any other
temple city of India. It is not about religion and worshipping
and deities. The temples of Khajuraho are instead famous for
the eroticism etched on its walls in the form of sculptures.
An amalgamation of science and art of architecture, these
10th-11th century temples have a very interesting legend
behind them that connects them to the origin of Chandela
dynasty. It is said that in a fit of passion and lust, the
Moon God seduced and ravaged a beautiful Brahmin girls known
as Hemvati, resulting in the birth of Chandravarman (the
founder of the Chandela dynasty). Later, Chandravarman had a
dream where his mother requested him to make a temple, which
would reveal all aspects of the treasure of passion and erotic
fantasy to the world.
History of Khajuraho
The past of Khajuraho is shrouded with mystery and conjecture.
In the midst of the wilderness full of ferocious animals,
there is the small town of Khajuraho standing alone in its
solitude with its ancient temples. With hardly any written
records and rare references to its origin, the history of
Khajuraho has become trapped in the mythical folklore of the
region. The beautiful artwork of these temples have gained the
attention of the art lovers all over the world but the real
purpose behind their construction is a mere guess work of the
intellectuals. The These temples fire the imagination of the
visitors with innumerable questions such as their significance
and their position in the society, the reason behind using
these temples as an art gallery, the whereabouts of the said
kingdom and why only the temples have been found and there are
no ruins of the mansions and palaces in the nearby area. The
graphic representation of sexual and erotic postures in a
religious place is bewildering too.
However, if the myth it is to be believed, Khajuraho was known
as 'Khajur-vahika' or 'Khajjurpura' in the ancient times
because of its golden date palms (known as 'khajur') that
lined the gates of this city. It has been mentioned in the
Mahoba-khand of Chandbardai's (the famous medieval court poet)
'Prithviraj Raso' that Hemraj, the royal priest of Kashi (the
old name for Varanasi), had an exceptionally beautiful
daughter named Hemvati, who was unfortunately a child widow.
One summer night, while she was bathing in a lotus-filled
pond, the Moon God was so dazed by her beauty that he
descended to earth in human form full of lust and passion and
ravished her. Later, he repented when the distressed Hemvati
threatened to curse him for ruining her honor and dignity and
blessed her with a valiant son who would later become a king
and build the temples of Khajuraho. Hemvati left her home and
gave birth to a brave and strong boy child in the tiny village
of Khajjurpura. The child was named Chandravarman and it is
said that by the time he was 16 years old, the glorious boy
was strong and skilled enough to kill tigers or lions with his
bare hands. With the blessings of the Moon God, his father he
became a mighty king and built the fortress at Kalinjar. Then
heeding to his mother's wishes he built 85 legendary temples
surrounded by lakes and gardens at Khajuraho and also
performed the bhandya yagya, to wash away the sins of his
mother.
Yet another version of the above legend raises Hemvati as a
dutiful daughter who sacrificed all her happiness and dignity
for her father. Mani Ram, the royal priest of Kalinjar,
miscalculated once and declared the dark night as the full
moon night or Purnamasi in front of the king. Hemvati, his
widowed daughter could not bear the possibility of any stigma
on her father's reputation and prayed to the Moon God to
uphold the word of the priest. However, she had to pay a heavy
price for her wish being granted when the Moon God who was
smitten by the lady's beauty ravished her in return for his
favor. When Mani Ram came to know of this entire incident, he
was so ashamed and grief-stricken that he cursed himself and
turned into a stone. However, Hemvati got pregnant with the
tryst and gave birth to a virtuous son by the name of sage
Chandrateya who is believed to be the founder of the Chandela
dynasty. Chandelas worshipped the Mani Ram-turned-stone as
Maniya Dev.
Khajuraho Dance Festival
Held every year from 25th February to 2nd March, Khajuraho
Dance Festival takes place at the open-air auditorium in front
of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated to the Sun God and the
Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. They are situated
in the Western Group of temples, which is the largest, well
maintained and most easily accessible temple group of
Khajuraho. Started regularly since 2002, this weeklong
festival has already become legendary with its outlandish
classical dance performances presented in a dreamlike setting
of splendidly illuminated temples. Khajuraho temples present
sculptures depicting various skills and arts of courtly love
including dance and music in stone and what venue can be more
befitting to hold the cultural festival highlighting the
various classical dances of India!
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Location:
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In Madhya
Pradesh, India.
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Significance:
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Well-known for
the sculptures in erotic poses in its temples.
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Climate:
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Khajuraho has
extreme tropical climate with temperature as high as
47°C in summers and as low as 4°C in winters.
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How to Reach:
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By Air:
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Khajuraho has
daily domestic flights to and from Agra, Varanasi and
Kathmandu.
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By Train:
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The nearest
railway stations to Khajuraho are Mahoba, Satna and
Jhansi. All of these are well connected to most of the
major cities of India.
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By Road:
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Khajuraho has
frequent bus services and good roads to and from the
major cities of India including Panna, Mahoba, Satna,
Jabalpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Agra and Jhansi.
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India Tour
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