Khajuraho Sightseeing : Places to visit in destination Khajuraho

Places to visit in the city Khajuraho

WESTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho

The Western Group of Temples, in the heart of the town, are the most famous temples of Khajuraho, with the mithunas (couples), gandharvas, apsaras, vidyadaras and kinaras. The images of the apsaras are stunning, with their sensuous poses and liquid movements. There are the unforgettable images of a maiden adorning herself before a mirror, applying kohl on her eyes, plaiting her long hair, removing a thorn from her foot. The erotic images, almost acrobatic orgiastic scenes have been associated with Tantric rituals and practices. However, it/’s not so much the sexual aspect but the grace, energy and feeling that strikes one most about these images. The eyes, the face and the body are poetry of pure emotive movement.

The Kandariya Mahadeo is the biggest and most stunning temple, with its 800 statues of gods and goddesses, the marble lingam and the ceiling that rises 31 metres high. It is considered the most evolved example of central Indian temple architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is also the largest of Khajuraho/’s temples.

The Lakshmana Temple has friezes of battle scenes and erotic poses, depicting both sides of the Chandela warriors/’ lives. In fact, the eight figures on each column are supposed to represent each sect of the Tantric cult. The finely carved inner sanctum has a three-headed idol of Vishnu/’s incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha.

The Varaha Temple has a 9-feet-high image of the boar incarnation of Vishnu, gorgeously carved with 474 images.

The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, and has many group scenes of royal processions, hunting, and dancing that reflect the lavish lifestyle of the Chandela courts.

The Devi Jagdamba Temple has a gorgeous image of Parvati. It is perhaps the most erotic temple of Khajuraho. The temple houses Khajuraho/’s most talked-about image, mithuna, and the sensuously carved figures. However, till today it is not clear as to which deity this temple is dedicated.

The Matangesvara Temple has a 2.5-metre-high polished lingam of Shiva. This is the only temple that is actively used for worship.

The temple of Vishvanath and Nandi celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The temple draws attention by its provocative depiction of women.

Chaunsath Yogini is dedicated to goddesses Kali. It is the oldest of the surviving temples of Khajuraho. The only temple in Khajuraho to be built of granite, the name of the temple is derived from the cells of 64 attendants of Goddess Kali (chaunsath: sixty-four).

The gardens around the Western temples are picturesque and become a spectacle of colour and light during the Khajuraho dance festival.

EASTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho

The Eastern temples are partly Jain and partly Hindu. The most striking is the Parsvanath Temple, with its exquisite sculptures depicting everyday activity. There is a bull-emblem of the first Tirthankara, Adinath. It is a fine instance of sensitive art without any sexual motifs. In the vicinity of this temple is the temple of Adinath, which has some fine carvings. The temple is structurally similar to the Hindu temples of Khajuraho. In fact, it is this Jain-Hindu combination that is singularly interesting about the Eastern Group of temples. Only a century old, Shantinath is the most recent of all the temples in Khajuraho. Visited by the Digambar Jains, the temple houses a four and a half metre statue of Adinath. The Ghantai Temple, mostly in ruins now, has fine columns and chains and bells, with a figure of a Jain goddess on a garuda. Mainly built of granite and sandstone, the temple of Brahma and Hanuman is one of the oldest temples in Khajuraho. Strange though it may seem, the temple is actually dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Close by is a Hanuman temple reputed to have the earliest inscription dating back to AD 922 on a 2½-metre statue. The Javari and Vamana are two other notable temples of the Eastern Group.

THE SOUTHERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho

The southern group of temples contains only two temples. The Duladeo Temple apparently is newer of the two and was built at a time when the creativity of Khajuraho was well below its peak. The other is the Chaturbhuj Temple, located far from the village. The temple houses a three-metre-high statue of Vishnu.