Information about Khajurao

Khajurao is right behind Taj Mahal

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Khajurao, India's most visited monument after the Taj is a collection of fascinating temples. India's unique gift of love to the world, these were built between 950-1050 A.D. by the Chandela rulers. Unfortunately only 22 of the original 85 survive today. Khajuraho derives it's name from the Khajur (the date palm) tree. An abundantly found species in the area.

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.

Unlike other temples, the ones at Khajuraho are said to have a theme i.e. women, which reveals itself while wandering through the temples. It's a celebration of woman's myriad moods and facets. There are carvings of a woman writing letter, applying makeup to her eyes, combing her tresses, dancing and playing with her child. Innocent, coquettish, smiling, seductive, passionate and beautiful the images have certain common factors. Intricate, detail sculpting that speaks of consummate skill.

Other Attractions in Khajurao

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Other Tourist Attractions in Khajurao:

Temples of Lakshmi and Varaha, Mahadev, Chitragupta, Parvati, and Matangesvara, the temple of Parsvanath, Shantinath Temple, The temple of Brahma and Hanuman, Duladeo Temple, The Chaturbhuja Temple.

Tourist Places near to khajurao:

Panna National Park, Dhubela Museum, Pandava Waterfall, Rajghar Palace, Ajaygarh Fort, Benisagar and ranguan Lake, Raneh Falls, Ken Gharial Sanctuary, Rajgarh Palace.

Tourist Spots in Khajurao

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Tourist Spot in Khajurao:

Chaunsat Yogini 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 is considered the most evolved example of central Indian temple architecture. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the largest of Khajuraho’s temples.
The Lakshmana Temple 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 Vishvanath 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 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.

Khajurao - The spiritually sexy place

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Khajurao in Madhya Pradesh, India is one of the most popular tourists spots. Khajuraho has the largest cluster of medieval Hindu temples, famous for their titillating sculptures. Khajuraho is derived from the Hindi word Khajur meaning date palm.

Khajurao was the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs; a Hindu dynasty that ruled parts of India for 2 centuries. The Khajuraho temples took hundred years to be made, from 950 to 1050.

A wall with eight gates, each edged by two golden palm trees enclosed the whole area. There were over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 remain in a sound state of maintenance.

Khajurao Temples represent religion with erotica. They are a fine illustration of Indian architectural styles. They were revived during the 20th century.

The wall paintings depict the life and times of the Chandelas. They not only give evidence of the mastery of the craftsman, but also to the astonishing vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose reign, these temples were constructed. Their technique of architecture was rather peculiar to their times. Each structure stands on a high stonework platform with a upward direction to their construction. The three main compartments of the temples are the entrance, the assembly hall and the actual workroom.

Khajurao Temples are now set in a national park. At the time of india's independence in 1947, the landscape was semi-desert and scrub. The park now has a public park, with mowed grass and ornamental trees

Khajurao Temples, has spiral structures, similar to northern Indian shikhara temple style and Panchayatana plan or layout. some of the temples are dedicated to the Jain deities and the rest to Hindu deities. A Panchayatana temple had four lower shrines on four corners and the main shrine, in the center.The temples are grouped into western, eastern and southern geographical divisions.

The temples are a world heritage site and belong not only to India but also to the world. The Archeological Survey of India's devoted efforts towards their conservation rank as one of the best-preserved monuments of the ancient times.
Most of the temples are built of sandstone in shades of beige, pink or yellow. Each belongs to a different sect, the Shiva, Vaishnava or Jaina Sects, but it is impossible to tell apart from one another by the amateur eye.

Khajurao - Slightly more details

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Khajurao: The city of Khajurao is the legacy of the Chandella Dynasty. King Yasovarman began the era of temple construction around 930-1050 AD. Eighty five temple were built out of which twenty two still exist today with the rest been destroyed by natural causes. The murals and statues depict scenes from hunting, feasting and dancing to the sensual and the erotic.

The temples were lost to modern civilization until 1838 when Capt. T. S. Burt, a British engineer, re-discovered them.

The temples have been laid out in three different regions: East, West, and South. The most exquisite and most numerous (14 in all) are in the Western group. The Eastern group has six temples three of which are comparatively new Jain temples, and the Southern group consists of two temples.

The patient hands of the craftsmen have transformed even the mundane to excellence, depicting a maiden stretching her limbs in the morning, another wringing water out of her hair after a bath, and a surasundari taking out a thorn out of the sole of her foot. Such detail in these sculptures, like the depiction of strained muscles and cuts on the calf muscles or the biceps is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Besides erotic sculptures there are court scenes and scenes of battle and advice to the citizens of the kingdom. See the Chausat Yogini [64 sorceresses] temple said to be haunted after dark.

The depiction of uninhibited sex hints towards a liberated society in yesteryear. There are a variety of theories as to why there is such graphic depiction: to prepare young men who had lived in hermitages in abstinence for worldly duties; to gratify kings as simple graphics; sexual education for the masses as they visited the temples; to attract the masses to the sculptors and then enter the temples; as a test for the individual seeking attainment – should he be attracted to sex then he was not ready. The theories abound. It is certain however, that the temples represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. Such depiction of sex forms only a small fraction of all the carvings at Khajuraho.

Khajurao - A Brief Intro

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In the temple architecture of India, the Khajurao complex remains unique. One thousand years ago, under the generous and artistic patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of Central India, 85 temples, magnificent in form and richly carved, came up on one site, near the village of Khajuraho. Travel to Khajuraho is usually related to these eternal expressions of love in stone. But the temples of Khajuraho are not the only attractions around Khajuraho. There are other attractions around that should also not be missed is you are planning to travel to Khajuraho. Most of the places nearby the temple complex make exciting weekend getaways from Khajuraho.