Built between 9th and 11th century by the Chandela dynasty, the Khajuraho temples are an enigma for historians and visitors. These temples are the finest example of central Indian style of art and architecture. The temples depict art in the form that demonstrates that a sense of human emotion has taken the form of spiritual and physical love in various figures of art in Khajuraho. These sculptures congeal in stone a melodious mystery of love and passion and reflect the Chandela dynasty’s appreciation for art.
Location:
The fascinating temples of Khajuraho are located in the heart of Central India in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Actually they are built in the Bundelkand area, 44km northwest of Panna in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the top tourist places in India. There is also a small airport built in this village. The residents and some foreigners in the village run a number of hotels. People with a keen desire to relish the beauty of the awe-inspiring art and architecture of the Chandela art visit the place and quench their thirst for splendor and magnificence.
History of the temples:
The creators of the Khajuraho temples claimed descent from the moon. The origin of this dynasty is described in a fascinating way: The moon god while bathing in the Rati one evening seduced Hemavati, the beautiful young daughter of a Brahmin priest. 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.
The different groups of temples at Khajuraho:
The 22 surviving temples among the original 85 are divided into three groups- the western group, the eastern group and the southern group. Among these, the western group is the largest and easily accessible. The largest of the Khajuraho temples is the Kandariya Mahadeva in the western group that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other notable temples of the western group are Matangeshwara temple, Lakshman temple, Devi Jagadamba temple, Visvanath and Nandi temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati and the oldest surviving Chaunsath Yogini temple. The prominent temples of the eastern group are the Jain temples of Parasnath, Adinath, Shantinagh, and Ghantai. These temples are the fine examples of elaborate carvings and are bereft of the erotic sculptures seen in Hindu temples. The southern group has two temples only, the Chaturbhuj temple and the Duladeo temple.
Categories of carvings:
All the walls, windows, pillars, and ceilings are carved with figures of mythical and historical origin. Many of these depict women in postures of innocent play, while others depict carnal love (mithuns). Brahma, Vishnu, Surya and the Jain Tirthankars are also depicted in figures for general worship. Real and mythical animals and beasts, people working, listening to teachers are also finely portrayed in the temples. The erotic sculptures on the other hand are symbolic of cosmic love. The philosophy behind it is that life’s effort is to fight decay and death, and this challenge is symbolized in the mystic union of Shiva and Shakti.
Summary:
The temples are a world heritage site and belong to the whole world. Its beauty, awe and grandeur are for the true visitors who can realize the real majestic and gorgeousness of the temples. Each and every carving in the temples bears rich choice of beauty of the maker. They bear a past that riches and cultivates the ancient Indian history.