Location of Khajuraho Temples:
Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is a fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural heritage. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love to the world, represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. It is one of the top tourist places of India. An Airport has been built in this small village. Tourists with fat pockets but less time can fly Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Delhi in a day! There are a lot of hotels in the area to stay. A few are run by foreigners. The shops in Khujaraho sell a lot of handicrafts and some of them are really good and reasonably priced.

History of Temples:
Khajuraho temples were constructed between 950 and 1050 A.D. during the reign of Chandel Empire. Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree (the date palm tree) which can be found in abundance in the area. These temples are considered the "high point" of Indian architectural genius in the Medieval period.

Originally there were 85 temples, of which only 22 still exist. The amazingly short span of 100 years, from 950 AD - 1050 AD, saw the completion of all the temples, in an inspired burst of creativity. With the wane of the Chandela empire, these magnificent temples lay neglected, and vulnerable to the ravages of Nature. It was only in this century, that they were rediscovered, restored and granted the recognition that they justly deserve. The murals depict the life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being. They not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, but also to the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose reign, these temples were constructed. Their style of architecture was also rather peculiar to their times. Each structure stands on a high masonry platform with a distinct upward direction to their build, further enhanced by several vertical projections to simulate the effect of an overall lightness. The three main compartments are the entrance (ardhamandapa), assembly hall (mandapa), and the actual sanctum (garbha griha). The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions : western, eastern and southern.

The creators of Khajuraho claimed descent from the moon. The legend that describes the origin of this great dynasty is a fascinating one : Hemavati, the beautiful young daughter of a Brahmin priest was seduced by the moon god while bathing in the Rati one evening. The child born of this union between a mortal and a god was a son, Chandravarman. Harassed by society, the unwed mother sought refuge in the dense forest of Central India where she was both mother and guru to her young son. The boy grew up to found the great Chandela dynasty. When he was established as a ruler, he had a dream-visitation from his mother, who implored him to build temples that would reveal human passions, and in doing so bring about a realization of the emptiness of human desire. Chandravarman began the construction of the first of the temples, successive rulers added to the fast growing complex.

Location of Khajaraho Temples:
Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is a fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural heritage. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love to the world, represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. It is one of the top tourist places of India. An Airport has been built in this small village. Tourists with fat pockets but less time can fly Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Delhi in a day! There are a lot of hotels in the area to stay. A few are run by foreginers. The shops in Khujaraho sell a lot of handicrafts and some of them are really good and reasonably priced.

What To See:
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions : western, eastern and southern.

Western Group
The Western group is certainly the best known, because it is to this group that the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple belongs : the Kandariya Mahadev. Perfectly symmetrical, it soars 31 km high.

Kandariya Mahadev - This is the largest, and most typical Khajuraho temple. There are abput 900 statues. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars 31 m high. The sanctum enshrines a lingam, while the main shrine is ornately carved and depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras (heavenly maidens) in elaborate detail. The entrance arch, the massive pillars and ceilings are adorned with exquisite carvings, that leave the visitor spellbound. Beyond the archway of the Kandariya Mahadev, lie the six interior compartments; the portico, main hall, transept, vestibule, sanctum and ambulatory. The ceilings are particularly noteworthy and the pillars supporting them have intricately carved capitals. The transept's outer walls have three horizontal panels showing deities of the Hindu pantheon, and groups of lovers, a pageant of sensuousness, vibrantly alive.

Chaunsat Yogini - The oldest surviving temple in the group (900 A.D.), this is the sole granite temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. Only 35 of the original 65 cells remain and no image of Kali has survived : not surprisingly, since this is the earliest surviving shrine of the group dated to 900 AD. Another Kali temple, which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is the Devi Jagdambe temple.

Chitragupta Temple - Dedicated to the sun-god, Surya, this temple faces eastwards to the rising sun. The inner sanctum boasts of an impressive image of the presiding deity - the majestic sun-god looming 5 feet high, and driving a chariot. The other group scenes depict royal processions, group dances and other scenes of sheer luxury, typical of the Chandela court-life.

Vishwanath Temple - The temple enshrines a three-headed image of Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northern entrance to the structure, while elephants flank the southern flight of steps that lead upto it. The exteriors are profusely carved, and facing the shrine is a Nandi Temple with a massive, 6 ft high Nandi bull.

Lakshamana Temple - The lintel over the entrance of this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The sanctum is adorned with a three-headed idol of Vishnu's incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha. The latter, the boar incarnation also appears as a nine-feet high statue at the Varaha Temple.

Matangeshwara Temple - This temple, which happens to be outside the precincts of the western group, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It boasts of an eight feet high lingam. It is still a place of worship. South of this temple is the open air Archaeological Museum, which has a beautiful displayed collection of statues and friezes collected from the area : the remains of long vanished temples

Eastern Group
Parsavanatha Temple - The largest in the group of three Jain temples, the Parsavanath image in this temple, was installed in 1860. The sculptures on the northern wall depict everyday activity, in awesome detail. A woman sits bent pensively on a letter, a lovely young girl removes a thorn from her foot, the master craftsmen of Khajuraho display here their deep understanding of the trifles that make up a human life. Within the temple, a throne faces the bull emblem of first tirthankara, Adinath.

Ghantai Temple - This Jain temple has a frieze depicting the 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother, and a multi-armed Jain goddess perched on a winged Garuda.

Adinatha Temple -The last of the Jain temples, is dedicated to the Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned with sculptures of yakshis among others.

The three Hindu temples in this group are the Brahma temple, which has a four-faced lingam, The Vamana temple which is embellished with images of ravishing apsaras at their alluring best; and finally the Javari temple, with its ornate gateway and lavish carvings. A variety of sensuous attitudes : languid, provocative, mischievously inviting, give credibility to the theory that Khajuraho's erotica were meant to test the devotees who came to worship their gods at the temples.

5 km from the Khajuraho village, lies the Southern Group.

Duladeo Temple - Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the highlights of this temple are the sensuous images of the apsaras, and other exquisite sculptures.

Chaturbhuj Temple - This temple sports a huge, elaborately carved image of Vishnu in the sanctum

Festivals
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. The event is a seven-day dance extravaganza where all the best exponents of all major classical Indian dance forms take the stage to wow their audience. The dance forms on display include Kathak, Bharat Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali. Recently modern Indian dance forms have also been included. It is truly an awe-inspiring sight to take in renowned performers dancing against the backdrop of the beautifully

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

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.