Khajuraho Tourism

        Once guarded by swaying date palm trees, which gave the city of Khajuraho its name, the city is a study in art and sculpture. The city traces its origin to the 10th century when it was the bastion of the Chandela dynasty.

Khajuraho's claim to fame are the famous Chandela temples, erected between the 10th and 11th centuries, these temples were abandoned to the jungle during the Muslim era. In 1840 British tiger-hunters came upon them and in the 1920s twenty-two of the original 85 were excavated. The rosy sandstone tiered temples of beautifully carved figures depict the warrior clan's ebullient style in battle and in love. Now a world heritage site, Khajuraho is an Indian destination you cannot afford to miss.

Places of Interest

Khajuraho Temples
          Khajuraho is world famous for its temples. These temples represent an outstanding synthesis of advanced architecture and refined sculpture, and their beauty means that a trip here should definitely be included in your North India itinerary, particularly if you plan to fly from Agra or Delhi to Varanasi. Known for the profusion of sculptural embellishments on both exterior and interior walls, Khajuraho's temples are also recognizable for the exaggerated vertical sweep in the majority of the temples, with a series of shikharas (spires) that grow successively higher. These shikharas are believed to be a visual echo of the soaring Himalayan mountains, abode of Lord Shiva. Most of the sculpted temples are elevated on large plinths (often also shared by four smaller corner shrines), and follow the same five-part design.

 The Khajuraho temples are almost all aligned east to west, with the entrance facing east. A profusely carved arch leads to the oblong porch or ardhamanapa, behind which is the large assembly hall or mandapa, open on three sides, followed by the still larger hall mahamandapa, a closed hall with a corridor around it. This hall finally leads into the vestibule or the antarala. Beyond this is the garbhagriha or sanctum, entered through another ornate doorway, that houses the cult deity.

 Besides the temples, Khajuraho is famous for its dances. Indian dance lovers the world over can feast their eyes and senses at this celebration of the beauty of the Khajuraho temples. The 7-day Khajuraho Dance Festival highlights the richness of the Indian classical dance and music and draws the best classical dancers in India every year, who perform against the spectacular backdrop of the magnificently lit temples. The various classical styles of Indian dance performed here are Kathak, Odissi, Bharat Natyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali. Modern Indian dance is a recent addition.