Khajuraho Group of Monuments Temple-Introduction,location,history,major attraction,dance festival,how to reach,best time,map,nearby places,pictures:India-Tourism

Khajuraho Group of Monuments Temple-Introduction,location,history,major attraction,dance festival,how to reach,best time,map,nearby places,pictures

Introduction: Khajuraho (Hindi: खजुराहो) is a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi, the capital city of India.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture. The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India.

The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravahaka", is derived from the Sanskrit word kharjur meaning date palm.

Khajuraho Sculpture

History:Situated in the historic Bundel Khand region of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is famous world over for the temple art forms of early medieval period.Khajuraho is home to a massive complex of world famous Hindu and Jain temple, built during the 900 AD to 1000 AD by Chandela rulers. The Chandelas were renowned for their love of art and luxury and gifted to the world some of the best sculpted images.

Ganesh Idol Carving in Khajuraho Temples

Vishnu Idol Khajuraho

Initially there were 85 temples, but now only 22 temples have left, describing the splendour of that period. The intricately done temple carvings are highly erotic and sensual attempting to depict in pure form a whole range of human emotions and relationships.

Khajuraho is well connected by air, rail and road. So one can easily reach the town and enjoy a fine glimpse of the era gone by. For accommodation plenty of hotels are available ranging from luxury to mid range categories.

Major Attractions:

Khajuraho Temples: Temples are of course, the major attractions of Kahuraho. The temples of Khajuraho are divided into three categories, namely Western Group, Eastern Group and Southern Group. The Western Group temples are the largest, precise and centrally located. The Eastern Group temples comprise of five separated sub-groups in and around the present village of Khajuraho. While, the Southern Group temples are located at some distance.

Kandariya Mahadeo Temple (Western Group): Kandariya Mahadeo is the biggest and most typical of Khajuraho temples. The temple rises to a height of 31 metres from the ground and around 900 statues, most of them in erotic postures could be seen in the temple. The deity worshipped in this temple is Lord Shiva.

Chaunsat Yogini Temple ( Western Group): Chaunsat Yogini Temple is the only temple of Khajuraho made of granite. Here the deity worshipped is goddess Kali. Unfortunately, no any image of goddess Kali could survive the adverse condition. Besides, only 35 of the original 65 cells have remained intact.

Chitragupta Temple (Western Group): Facing eastwards to the rising sun, Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the sun-god, Surya. The inner sanctum houses a very attractive image of the Sun God. In addition, there are numerous beautiful images on the walls depicting royal processions, group dances and other scenes of sheer luxury.

Parsvanath Temple (Eastern Group): One of the finest of sculpted Khajuraho temples, Parsvanath Temple is the largest Jain temple of the place. Originally dedicated to Adinath, Saint Parsvanath is now worshipped in the temple. The art forms of the temple are very beautiful and sensitive, but don’t have sexual motifs. The sculptures on the temple walls have an amazing depiction of everyday activity of that period.

Adinatha Temple (Eastern Group): Adinatha is the last of Jain temples in Khajuraho. The temple walls have some of the most attractive sculptures of yakshis among others.

Duladeo Temple (Southern Group): Duladeo Temple is one of the most attractive temples of the southern group in Khajuraho. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has a number of sensuous images of the Apsaras (heaven women) and a few other exquisite sculptures.

Pandav Falls (30 km): The picturesque Pandav Falls lies at a distance of 30 kms from Khajuraho. Falling down to the Ken River from great heights, the sight of the falls is really breathtaking. It is believed that the Pandavas spent some years of their exile here and hence it had been named as Pandav Falls.

Panna National Park (40 km): Situated at a distance of 40 kms from Khajuraho, Panna National Park is home a wide variety of fauna. Here you can spot antelopes, chinkaras, sambars and boars. If you are lucky enough, you can have a glimpse of the elusive tiger. Many varieties of bird species can also be spotted in Panna National Park.

Dhubela Museum (64 km): Dhubela Museum is located at a distance of 64 kms from Khajuraho. The museum has an impressive collection of garments, weapons and paintings belonging to the Bundela rulers. The museum also has some sculptures belonging to the Shakti cult

Festivals:

Temple During the Night

During the Sunset

Khajuraho Dance Festival -To mark the true spirit of Khajuraho, a dance festival is held here in March, every year, wherein, ace artistes of various dance forms participate.

Mahashivaratri (Feb/Mar) - Devotees come in huge numbers to the Matangeshwar temple.

Khajuraho Dance Festival

How to Reach:

By Air A daily Boeing 737 service links Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Kathmandu.

By Rail The nearest railheads are Mahoba (64 km) and Harpalpur (94 km). Jhansi (175 km) and Satna (117 km) are convenient railheads for visitors from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Agra and Varanasi.

By Road Khajuraho is connected by regular bus services with Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and Bhopal.

Best Season: September to March.

Around Khajuraho

Benisagar Lake (11 km) - A picnic spot and a dam of the Khudar river. Ideal for boating and angling.
Ranguan Lake (25 km) - A dam site at the confluence of the Ken and Simri rivers.
Pandav Waterfall (30 km) - A waterfall on river Ken. The Pandavas of the Mahabharata are believed to have spent a part of their exile here.
Ranch Waterfalls (20 km) - Waterfalls on the Ken river, famous for rock formations.
Rajgarh Palace (25 km) - More than 150 years old, this palace nestles at the foot of the Manjyagarh hills.
Panna (45 km) - A historic town and capital of the Bundela kingdom.
Dhubela Museum (64 km) - The museum is located in an old fort, on the Jhansi-Khajuraho road. It houses the personal effects of Chhatrasal and other Bundela rulers.
Ajaygarh Fort (80 km) - An old fort, built at a height of 688 metres, and capital of the Chandelas during their decline.
Kalinjar Fort (100 km) - The fort is located on the Vindhya range, 38 km away from the Atarra Railway station. It was built during the Gupta period and captured by Shri Yashovarman, the Chandela king, in the 10th century.
Panna Diamond Mines (56 km) - India's only diamond mines, located at Majhgawan.
Panna National Park(40 km) - It is spread over 546 sq. km along the east bank of the river Ken. Dense forest cover, rocky gorges and waterfalls make for ideal wildlife watching.
Bandhavgarh National Park (237 km)
Lesiure activities - Angling at Benisagar and Ranguan lake. Permission of the Assistant Director Fisheries Department, Nowgong, Madhya Pradesh is necessary. Boating facility is available at Benisagar lake.