Khajuraho

State: Madhya Pradesh

District: Chatarpur District

Main languages: Hindi

 

History:

 

The village of Khajuraho has monuments which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It also has some of the largest medieval Hindu and Jain temples that are famous for their erotic sculpture. The village gets its name from the Hindi word khajur meaning date palm. The city had once been the original capital of the Chandela Rajputs that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples here were built over hundred years ago from 950 to 1050. The capital was moved to Mahoba after this time. The city was enclosed by a wall with eight gates which flanked two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples back then but only 22 now stand. The region suffered massive destruction by early Muslim invaders during 1100-1400 AD. The temples still serve as a great example of the style of ancient Indian architecture. 

 

Geography:

 

The village of Khajuraho is located at 24.85° N 79.93° E and has an average elevation of 283 meters. 

 

Demographics:

 

The city has a population of 19,282 people as per the 2001 census with an average literacy rate of 53%, which is below the national average rate.

 

Economy:

 

The main source of income here is from the heavy tourist flow but even agriculture and small scale industries contribute to the economy.

 

Architecture and tourism:

 

The structure of the Khajuraho temples was made with spiral superstructures which is similar to the northern Indian shikhara temple style. There were few temples here which were dedicated to the Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu deities like Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and various Devi forms. Even the Panchayatana temple had four subordinate shrines on four corners. There were and the main shrine in the center of the podium, which comprises their base. The Kandariya Mahadeva is considered to be one of the most accomplished temples of the Western group and has eighty-four shikharas. The Lakshmana temple is a panchayatana temple. The village has now been set in a parkland landscape with mown grass, rose beds and ornamental trees. Though this has made the area more popular with tourists, it has no resemblance to the historic past of the area. 

 

Art forms:

 

There are no temples containing erotic art inside the temple or near the deities but the external carvings bear erotic art. Many of the temples have two layers of walls, one for the small erotic carvings on the outside and another for regular art forms. The purpose of these carvings was that one must leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple. None of the erotic carvings show the bodies of deities but the postures of these carvings are based on common people, unlike the common misconception that the carvings are of relationships between deities. Due to the sexual nature of these carvings, many refer to the site as Kamasutra temple.

 

Transportation:

 

The city has an airport with regular flights to Delhi, Varanasi and Agra. The nearest railway station is the Jhansi railway station and there village is also well connected through roads.