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14 ~ FireFlyz
Deepavali Special
Looking Beyond
The Expected
J
aws
dropped in astonish-
ment when I announced that
I was takingmy 12-year-old
son to Khajuraho. A barrage
of questions followed. “Are
you sure?” “Isn’t he too young?” “Howwill
you explain all those sculptures?” Even
familymembers shook their heads and
sighed in resignation, as I stood resolute,
secure inmy assertion that therewas
more to Khajuraho than just the amorous
sculptures!
Progenitor of theChandela
dynasty
The desire to visit Khajuraho had been fes-
tering inme for a long time. However, the
tipping point was a talk by Dr. Devangana
Desai, on the temples of Khajuraho, as
part of the Indian Aesthetics course I was
pursuing. The tripwas planned, the bags
were packed, and off wewent, to discover
Khajuraho for ourselves. Our expectations
were high, and I had read and heard
enough to knowof the size, the grandeur,
the detail. However, little did I knowhow
moving and inspiring it would be.
We arrived at Khajuraho on a cold
wintermorning; themist rising fromthe
fields as the sun rose, bathing the ancient
sitewith a surreal glow. Legend has it that
the temples have their roots in a love affair
between theMoonGod, and a young
Brahmin girl.
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya
Pradesh, India. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and
their suggestive sculptures.
Anuradha Shan
creates quite a stir in her family with her decision
to take her son to visit these magnificent temples but is proved right in her belief that there
is more to the area than the expected.
Their childwas the first king of
Khajuraho, the progenitor of the
Chandela dynasty. It is believed
that he built 85 temples here, to
atone for the sin his parents had
committed. The erotic sculptures
which Khajuraho is known for are
said to be part of his atonement
too, and stand as awarning to
others. The story ismoremyth
than legend, but the temples
themselves - standing scattered
over the fields - seemto reach
to the skies, as if seeking the
heavens in quest of divinity.
Myth apart, these temples were
indeed built by the Chandelas,
but over a period of 250 years,
fromaround 900 to 1150 A.D. The
townwas then called Kharjurava-
haka, and extended over an area
of 13 km. Of the 85 temples which
once stood here, only 25 remain,
in various states of preservation.
Khajuraho, during that period,
seems to have been a place of
worship for all the sects and
The Chausath
Yogini Temple,
with the
Kandariya
Mahadev
temple seen in
the background.
An archwith
Makaras on
the Kandariya
Mahadev temple.
Notice the
intricate details
on the arch,
and the figures
depicted on it.
religions prevalent during the
time. Among the 25 temples
still standing, 10 are dedicated
to Vishnu, eight to Shiva, one to
Surya and one to the 64 Yoginis.
Besides these, there are five Jain
temples, built by theministers
andmerchants, and a solitary
sculpture of Buddha suggests
the presence of Buddhism in the
region as well.
Cosmic lord
The temples at Khajurahowere
built by patrons (the kings, their
ministers, and themerchants) for
worship, and for acquiringmerit
and fame. Despite the different
sects and religious affiliations,
themost significant thing about
the temples is that they are all
built in the same architectural
style, and use the same sculp-
tural schemes. Thus, at first
glance, there is a uniformity of
style, whichmade us believe
Khajuraho: