Khajuraho
HISTORY
The temples of Khajuraho are one of India's major attractions — close behind the Taj and up there with Varanasi, Jaipur and Delhi. The temples, of course, are superb examples of Indo-Aryan architecture but it's the decorations with which the temples are so liberally embellished that has made Khajuraho so famous. Around the temples are bands of sculptures of exceedingly fine and artistic stone work. The sculptors have shown many aspects of Indian life a thousand years ago — gods and goddesses, warriors and musicians, animals real and mythological. But two elements appear over and over again and in greater detail than anything else — women and sex. Stone figures of 'apsaras' or 'celestial maidens' appear on every temple. They pout and pose for all the world like Playboy models posing for the camera. In between are the 'mithuna' couples — couples, on some of the temples even larger groups, running through a whole Kama Sutra of positions and possibilities. Some obviously require amazing athletic contortions, some just look like good fun!
These temples were built during the Chandella period, a dynasty which survived for five centuries before falling to the onslaught of Islam. Khajuraho's temples almost all date from one century long burst of creative genius. These magnificent structures were almost all built between 950 and 1050 AD. Almost as intriguing as the sheer beauty and size of the temples themselves is the question of why and how they were built here. Khajuraho is simply a long way from anywhere and was probably just as far off the beaten track a thousand years ago as it is today. There is nothing of great interest or beauty to recommend Khajuraho as a building site, there is no great population centre here and during the hot season Khajuraho is very hot, very dry, very dusty and very uncomfortable. Having chosen such a strange site how did the Chandel-las manage to recruit the labour to turn their awesome dreams into stone? To built so many temples of such monumental size in just 100 years must have required a huge amount of manpower. Whatever their reasons we can be thankful they built Khajuraho where they did because its very remoteness must have helped to preserve it from the desecration Moslem invaders were only too ready to inflict on 'idolatrous' temples elsewhere in India.
TEMPLES
Lakshmana Temple: The large Lakshmana Temple is dedicated to Vishnu although in design it is similar to the Kandariya Mahadev and Vishvanath temples. It is one of the earliest of the western enclosure temples, dating from around 930 to 950 AD, but also one of the best preserved since it has not only the full five part floor plan but also still retains its four subsidiary shrines. Around the temple are two, rather than the usual three, bands of sculptures and the lower one has some fine figures of apsaras and some erotic scenes. On the subsidiary shrine at the south-west corner you can make out an architect working with his*students —it is thought this may be the temple's designer, including himself in the grand plan. Right around the base of the temple there is a continuous frieze with scenes of battles, hunting and processions. The first metre or two of the frieze consists of a highly energetic orgy including one gentleman proving that a horse can be man's best friend while a stunned group of women look aside in shock.
Temple |
Lakshmi & Varah Temples: Facing the large Lakshmana Temple are these two small shrines. The Varah Temple, dedicated to Vishnu's boar incarnation or Varah Avatar, actually faces the Matangesvara Temple which is outside the enclosure. Inside this small, open shrine is a huge, solid and intric ately carved figure of the boar.
Kandariya Mahadev: The first of the temples on a common base at the back of the western enclosure is the one temple to see in Khajuraho above all others. The Kandariya Mahadev is not only the largest of the temples it is also artistically and architecturally the most perfect. Built between 1025 and 1050 it represents Chandela art at its most finely developed phase. Although the four subsidiary shrines which once stood around the main temple have long disappeared the central shrine is in superb condition and shows the typical five part design of Khajuraho temples. The main spire soars 31 metres high and the temple is lavishly carved. The English archaeologist Cunningham counted 226 statues inside the temple and a further 646 outside — 872 in total with most of them nearly a metre in height. The statues are carved around the temple in three bands and include gods, goddesses, beautiful women, musicians and, of course, some of the famed erotic groups. The mithuna on the Kandariya Mahadev include some of the most energetic eroticism to be seen at Khajuraho. In the sexual Olympics there would definitely be some gold medal winners here.
Mahadeva: This small, and mainly ruined, temple stands on the same base as the Kandariya Mahadev and the Devi Jagadamba. Although it is so small and insignificant in comparison to its mighty neighbours it houses one of Khajuraho's best sculptures — a fine figure of a person (man or woman, observers have been unable to decide) caressing a lion.
Devi Jagadamba: The third temple on the common platform is slightly older than the Kandariya Mahadev and of a simpler, three-part design. The temple was probably originally dedicated to Vishnu but later changed to Parvati and then Kali. Some students believe it may still be a Parvati temple and that the Kali image (or Jagadamba) is actually an image of Parvati, painted black. The sculptures around the temple are again in three bands. Many of the two lower band images are of Vishnu with sharduls in the inner recesses. But on the third and uppermost band the mithuna again come out to play and some feel that this is Khajuraho's most erotic temple.
Chitragupta: The fourth temple at the back of the western enclosure does not share the common platform with the other three. Similar in design to the Devi Jagadamba, this temple is probably slightly later and is unique, at Khajuraho, in being dedicated to Surya, the Sun God. The temple has obviously been much restored and is'not in such good condition as other temples. Nevertheless it has some very fine sculptures including processions, dancing girls, elephant fights and hunting scenes. In the inner sanctum Surya can be seen driving his chariot and seven horses while on the central niche in the south facade you can see an 11-headed statue of Vishnu. The central head is that of Vishnu himself, the 10 others are of his incarnations.
Parvati: Continuing around the enclosure you come to the Parvati temple on your right. The name is probably incorrect since this small, and not so interesting, temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu and now has an image of Ganga riding on the back of a crocodile.
Vishvanath Temple & Nandi: Believed to have been built in 1002 this temple also has the complete five-part design of the larger Kandariya Mahadev temple but also has two of its four subsidiary shrines still standing. That it is a Shiva shrine is made very clear by the large image of his vehicle, the bull Nandi, which faces the temple from the other end of the common platform. Steps lead up to this high terrace, flanked by lions on the northern side and elephants on the southern side. The sculptures around the temple include the usual Khajuraho scenes but the sculptures of women are particularly notable here. They write letters, fondle a baby, play music and, perhaps more so than any other temple, simply languish around in provacative poses.
Matangesvara Temple: Standing next to the Lakshmana Temple this temple is not within the fenced enclosure because it is still in everyday use, unlike all the other old Khajuraho temples. It is one of the older temples
at Khajuraho, dating from around 900 to 925 AD. The temple is rather simpler in floor plan than the later, more highly developed temples and does not have the same profusion of carvings. Inside the shrine is a highly polished 2.5 metre high lingam.
Chausath Yogini: Standing beyond the tank, some distance from the other western group temples, this ruined temple is probably the oldest at Khajuraho, dating from 900 AD or earlier. It is also the only temple constructed entirely of granite and the only one not to be aligned east-west. Chausath means 64 — the temple once had 64 cells for figures of the 64 yoginis who attended the goddess Kali. A 65th cell sheltered Kali herself. A further half km west is the Lalguan Mahadev Temple, a small ruined shrine dedicated to Shiva and constructed of granite and sandstone.
Archaeological Museum: Close to the western enclosure, across the road from the post office, the museum has a fine collection of statues and sculptures rescued from around Khajuraho. It's quite small and definitely worth a visit. The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily and the western enclosure entrance fee also includes the museum. Opposite the museum, is the Archaeological Survey of India's compound beside the Matangesvara Temple, there are many more rescued sculptures — but it's off limits.
Parsvanath Temple: The largest of the Jain temples in the walled enclosure is also one of the finest temples at Khajuraho. Although it does not approach the western enclosure temples in size, or attempt to compete in the sexual activity stakes, it is notable for the exceptional skill and precision of its construction and for the beauty of its sculptures. Some of the best known figures at Khajuraho can be seen here including the classic figures of a woman removing a thorn from her foot and another of a woman applying eye make-up. Although it was originally dedicated to Adinath an image of Parsvanath was substituted about a century ago and the temple takes its name from this newer image.
Adinatha: Adjacent to the Parsvanath Temple the smaller Adinatha has been partially restored over the centuries. It has fine carvings on its three bands of sculptures and, like the Parsvanath, is very similar to the Hindu temples of Khajuraho. Only the Jain image in the inner sanctum indicates that it is Jain rather than Hindu.
Santinatha: This temple is a relatively modern one built about a century ago but it contains many components from older temples around Khajuraho and a fine collection of Jain sculpture. The Jain compound also contains a small museum.
Ghantai Temple: Walking back from the eastern Jain temple group towards Khajuraho village you come to this small ruined temple. Only the pillared shell of this Jain temple remains but it is interesting for the delicate columns with their bell and chain decoration and for the figure of a Jain goddess astride a Garuda which marks the entrance.
Javari Temple: You walk right through the village, a typical small Indian settlement, to this temple. Dating from around 1075 to 1100 AD it is dedicated to Vishnu and is a particularly fine example of Khajur-aho architecture on a small scale. The exterior has more of Khajuraho's delightful women.
Vamana Temple: About 200 metres north this temple is dedicated to Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. Slightly older than the Javari Temple, the Vamana Temple stands out in a field all by itself. It's notable for the relatively simple design of its shikara. The bands of sculpture around the temple are, as usual, very fine with numerous 'celestial maidens' adopting numerous interesting poses.
Brahma Temple: Turning back towards the modern village you pass this granite and sandstone temple, one of the oldest at Khaj-uraho. It was actually dedicated to Vishnu and the definition of it as a Brahma temple is incorrect. Taking the road directly from the modern village to the Jain enclosure you pass a temple to Hanuman with a large image of the monkey god.
Southern Group: There are only two temples in the southern group, one of which is several km south of the river. has passed its peak and that the tures are more 'wooden' and 's typed' than on the earlier tei Nevertheless it's a fine and gri temple with figures of women in iety of pin-up poses and a numt mithuna couples.
Chaturbhuja Temple: South of the river, about three km the village and quite a healthy down the dirt road that leads to it ruined temple has a fine large image of Vishnu.