Khajuraho

Khajuraho, the city of temples is one of the seven wonders in India and also in the list of world heritage site of UNESCO since 1986. The name Khajuraho has been changed by the time which was actually ‘Kharjuravahaka’, means bearer of date palm. Historians say that the temple had two golden date palm trees as their gate. It is a city in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India perhaps due to country’s largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples famous for their erotic sculptures. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments had 85 temples in past, probably by 12 th century, but only 25 of them survive now. The expansion of the temples as historical records say was about 20 square kilometers which shrank only up to 6 square kilometers now. Most of the temples are decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art. The Khajuraho Group of Temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respects for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region.

History: 

The Khajuraho Group of Temples was built during the rule of the Chandela Dynasty; most of the temples were built between 885 CE and 1030 CE. As historians say there were 85 temples made by Chandela Kings at Khajuraho spreading over twenty square meters area. Chandela made their capital at Mahoba in Bundelkhand presently lies partly in UP and partly in MP. The Khajuraho Temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval city of Mahoba, the capital of Chandela dynasty, in the Kalinjar region. Most of the temples in Khajuraho were built during the reign of Hindu kings Yashovarman and Dhanga. The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadev temple built in the reign of king Vidyadhar. The central Indian region where the Khajuraho temples lie was controlled by various Muslim Dynasties from 13 th century to 18 th century.  In this period some temples were desecrated, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect. The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho protected the Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims to some extent. 

Culture:

Khajuraho is similar to all other regions in India which are famous for their indigenous culture that has been followed over the years and cherished and practiced even today. Khajuraho once served as the capital of Chandela Rajput kings is literally steeped in art and culture. Hinduism and Jainism contribute in religious culture and languages spoken here are Hindi, Bundelkhandi and English. An ancient local legend held that Hindu deity Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting the dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area. The center of this region is Khajuraho, set midst local hills and rivers. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building temples where Gods love to pray. All temples except one (Chaturbhuja) face the sunrise another symbolic feature that is predominant in Hindu temples. The relative layouts of the temples integrate masculine and feminine deities and symbols highlight the interdependence. The artwork symbolically highlights the four goals of the life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism- Dharma, Karma, Artha and Moksha.