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are spoken in Khajuraho.
The best season to visit Khajuraho is from October to
March. History of Khajuraho
Khajuraho was the capital of the Chandela dynasty. The
Chandela Kings claimed descent from the Chandra, the
moon god. According to a legend, Hemvati, the beautiful
daughter of a Brahmin priest of Varanasi was seduced by
the Moon God while she was bathing. The child born of
this union was a son, Chandravarman. Condemned by
society, the unwed mother took refuge in the forest. The
boy grew up to found the Chandela dynasty. He dreamt
that his mother wanted him to build temples to reveal
human passions. Chandravarman began the construction of
the first of the temples and successive rulers added to
the complex. For many centuries after the Chandela
dynasty's decline in the 13th century, the temples were
concealed by dense jungles. Khajuraho was rediscovered
by Captain T.S. Burt, British army engineer, in 1838.
Khajuraho was opened to tourists only a few decades ago.
Tourist Attractions in Khajuraho
The main tourist attraction in Khajuraho are its
temples. These temples are among the finest examples of
temple craftsmanship in the whole of India. These
temples are India's unique gift to the world. These
temples are a collective salute to life, joy and
creativity. The erotic sculptures in the temples of
Khajuraho display different aspects of Hinduism. The
temples are divided into three geographical groups
namely, Western, Eastern and Southern. In the Western
Group, there are various temples like Kandariya Mahadeo
Temple, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Devi Jagdambe Temple,
Chitragupta Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Nandi Temple,
Lakshmana Temple, Varaha Temple, Matangeswara Temple.
Hindu and Jain temples make up the eastern group, close
to Khajuraho village. The largest Jain temple,
Parsvanath, belong to this group. Other temples are the
Ghantai Temple, Adinath Temple, Brahma, Vamana and
Javari temples. Five km from Khajuraho village is the
Southern group. Chaturbhuj Temple and Duladeo Temple
belong to this group of temples.
More....
Museums in Khajuraho
State Museum of Tribal & Folk Arts has a fine collection
of masterpieces of tribal and folk art and artifacts
from all over Madhya Pradesh at the Chandela Cultural
Complex. The tradition of tribal and folk arts and
crafts has evolved over centuries. It represents the
best of Indian culture and tradition and its synthesis
with foreign cultures that came through trade and
invasions. The State Museum has more than 500
representative items of terracotta, metal craft,
woodcraft, tribal and folk paintings, tattoos, jewellery
and masks. The Museum is open on all days except Mondays
and Government Holidays.
How to reach Khajuraho
By Air:
Khajuraho is well connected to various cities of India.
The airport is about 5 kms from the village centre.
Indian Airlines daily operate flight from Delhi to
Khajuraho via Agra.
By Rail:
Jhansi is the nearest approach to Khajuraho on the main
Delhi to Mumbai railway line. There is no direct route
that connects Varanasi to Khajuraho. Satna (about four
hours from Khajuraho) is the nearest connecting station.
On the Mumbai to Allahabad line there are plenty of
connections.
By Road:
Khajuraho is well connected by road to the various parts
of India. There are regular bus services from Agra,
Gwalior and Jhansi. |
