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Deepavali Special
that all the temples were similar. It is
only whenwe looked closer, and noticed
the subtle differences, that we realised
how incredibly detailed and unique each
templewas.
Themost impressive temples at
Khajuraho are those in theWestern
Group, which is wherewe began our tour.
These temples were built by the kings,
and are, thus, among themost important
as well.
As soon as we entered the complex,
our attentionwas captured by the
magnificent Varaha, the third incarnation
of Vishnu. Vishnu, it is believed, took the
formof awild boar to save the earth, and
in this shrine, he is depicted as amassive
boar, carved fromyellow sandstone.
On himare carved 675miniature
figures, depicting deities fromtheHindu
pantheon. The boar here, is thus a cosmic
formof Vishnu himself.
If I had any doubts of bringingmy son
here, they disappeared themoment he
looked at the Varaha, andwas entranced
by themagnificence, the intricacy, and the
very idea of the boar as a cosmic formof
the lord. Our guide had to literally pry
us out of this shrine, and, during the
course of our trip, we returned here,
day after day, just for onemore glance!
The tallest structure
The Lakshman temple, which stands
right opposite, is dedicated to Vishnu
as well, again in his cosmic form, as
Vaikunta Vishnu. The four-feet-high
image enshrined in this temple
depicts the lordwith three faces – the
lion, theman and the boar, an
imagewhich originally came from
the Chamba region (inHimachal
Pradesh).
The temple is coveredwith
sculptures, both inside and outside
the sanctum. It was fascinating to
wander around, trying to identify the
different deities depicted fromthe
avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu such
as Hayagriva, Varaha and Vamana, to
some forms of Shiva, Brahma, and the
goddesses. Besides thesemain deities,
the temple also has the gods of the
eight directions, the Ashta Dikpalakas,
and the nine planets, all on the outer
walls. In thewords of Dr. Devangana
Desai,
“The architect has presented the
temple asMount Meru, the centre
of the universe, aroundwhich the
planetary deities revolve.”
A littleway further is the Kandariya
Mahadev temple, the tallest structure
at Khajuraho. This temple gets its
name fromtheword ‘Kandara’, which
means ‘cave’, and indeed, it is an apt
description of the temple, which
appears to be amassivemountain,
with the shrine as a cavern. The idea
of course, is that the temple itself is
Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. The
niches around the sanctumhouse
images of Shiva in his various forms,
and every deity in the Shaivite
pantheon has his/her place here, with
gorgeous panels of the Saptamatrikas
(the sevenmothers) placed in niches
on the outer walls in positions which
suggest that they are circumambulat-
ing the shrine.
• Location: Khajuraho is an UNESCO World
Heritage Site, located in Madhya Pradesh,
India, about 600 Km from New Delhi.
• How to reach:
*
By Air: The nearest airport is at
Khajuraho, which has regular flights from
Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.
*
By Train: Khajuraho Railway station is
on the outskirts of the city, about 10
Km from the Western Group. There are
regular trains to New Delhi, as well as
Agra and Udaipur.
*
By Road: The roads connecting Khajuraho
to Jhansi are in good condition. There are
only a few regular buses on the route. It
is best to hire a vehicle.
*
Where to Stay: There is no dearth of
options for accommodation at Khajuraho,
from homestays and lodges, to hotels
and resorts. MP Tourism runs three
separate hotels for different budgets.
• Suggestions:
*
If possible, rent Audio Guides, at the
entrance of the Western Group of
temples. Arrive early, since there are only
a few available.
*
Do not miss the Sound and Light Show in
the Western Group of Temples.
• Timing: 6:30 PM: English, 7:40 PM: Hindi.
*
The Folk Dance show at the Cultural
Centre is also worth attending. It is held
every day, at 6:30 PM.
*
There are four museums in Khajuraho, all
of which are worth visiting:
• The old ASI museum opposite the Western
Group.
• The new ASI museum.
• The Tribal Art museum.
• The Jain Museum near the Jain Temples in
the Eastern Group.
*
Excursions around Khajuraho.
• Kalinjar Fort.
• Panna National Park.
• Pandav Falls.
• Raneh Falls and Ken Gharial Sanctuary.
• Further Reading: If you are planning to visit
Khajuraho, do read up before you go. It will
help you understand the temples better. I
would recommend:
*
Khajuraho, by Dr. Devangana Desai,
Monumental Legacy Series, Oxford India
Paperbacks.
*
Khajuraho, the ASI series.
Information
The emblemof the Chandelas,
depicting the first Chandela King
battling a lionwhen hewas just
a child, with awooden sword.