Known to the world for its temples,
sex, architecture and sculpture, the enchanting Khajuraho, conjures up
images of a society that celebrated life to the fullest. The architecture of
the temples resemble the Nagara style. Khajuraho has been envisaged as a
temple town and has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
1986. The more than thousand years temples have not lost their charm and
they still leave the spectator spellbound. These temples of Khajuraho are
the evidences of the architectural geniuses during the times of the Chandela
dynasty.
Khajuraho Temples
Chaunsath Yogini -
The temple is the earliest temple of the group that has survived. It belongs
to 900 AD and is dedicated Goddess Kali. It has the distinction of being the
only granite temple here.
Chitragupta Temple - This temple is dedicated to the Sun
God (Surya Dev). It is in front of this temple and the Vishwanatha temple
that most of the dance performances take place during the Khajuraho Dance
Festival.
Vishwanatha Temple - This temple has outstanding
entrances with magnificent stone guarding its northern steps and royal
masonry elephants taking care of the southern steps. The three-headed image
of Lord Brahma here is worth seeing.
Lakshmana Temple - A pretty Vaishnava temple flaunts a
lintel over its entrance depicting the divine trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord
Vishnu and Lord Shiva along with Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Lord Vishnu.
Matangeshwara Temple - Situated outside the premises of
Western group of temples, this Lord Shiva's temple is known for the daunting
eight-feet high lingam (male organ representing the natural process of
reproduction and the continuity of human life form) that it enshrines.
The Eastern Group
The sculptural embellishment and profundity of architectural designs in
Temples of Khajuraho is well ostensible in the Eastern Group of Temples.
Ghantai Temple - This is a Jain Temple, famous for its
ornamental depiction of 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother and a Jain goddess on
a winged Garuda.
Vamana Temple - This temple is adorned on its outer
walls with carvings of apsaras (celestial beauties) in a variety of sensuous
moods.
Javari Temple - This temple is famous for its richly
carved gateway and exterior sculptors.
Brahma Temple - This is known for its four-faced image
of Brahma housed in the sanctum of the temple. The temple is made up of
granite stone and its shikhar is that of sandstone.
Hanuman Temple - This is another remarkable specimen of
Khajuraho temple architecture. It is famous for the colossal statue of
Hanuman, about 8 ft high, placed in the temple.
Adinath Temple - The Adinath temple is dedicated to the
Jain Tirthankara Adinath. The lavish embellishment with sculpted figures,
including that of Yakshis is quite remarkable.
Southern Group
Duladeo Temple - This Shaiva temple is known for
flaunting the striking images of the celestial maidens or apsaras and richly
ornamented figures.
Chaturbhuja Temple - It is the huge imposing intricately
carved image of Lord Vishnu in the temple's sanctum, which is the chief
attraction of the temple.
Go Shopping
Khajuraho draws a huge number of tourists from all over
the world. Shopping in Khajuraho is a pleasant experience. The ace craftsmen
of this place have a great hold over handicrafts and handlooms. If you have
to please your wife, then your decision to bring her in Khajuraho is very
commendable as textile weaving is a major craft here and you can get her a
variety of sarees. Miniature stone-carved replicas of erotic sculptures are
hot favourite items for shopping in Khajuraho. There are many shopping areas
in Khajuraho.
Shopping Destinations
- Gole Market
- Oswal complex
- Government Emporia
- Numerous other private outlets
- A weekly bazaar is held at Rajinagar on Tuesdays, 5 km from
Khajuraho. The market is worth a visit to buy silver goods and
brassware.
Where to eat
Khajuraho being an important tourist destination has
many restaurants serving eclectic range of dishes. The restaurants are
specialised in serving Indian, Chinese, Mughlai and South Indian food. The
most popular stop is Raja Cafe, situated opposite the Western Group. This
restaurant is popular for serving the best pancakes in town. Neat the Jain
Temples lies the Shivam Restaurant, which serves sumptuous Gujarati thalis.
Besides this there are a number of eateries spread around the Western Group
Of Temples. The Mediterraneo Restaurant is the favourite stop for a glass of
chilled beer and some semi- authentic Italian food.
Mercury Meter
Khajuraho experiences an extreme tropical climate.
There are drastic shifts in day and night temperatures along with minimal
rainfall. Summers are as hot as 45°C and winters pleasant at 27°C.
It feels like a furnace in summers and the atmosphere turns fog free and dry
during winters.
