Khajuraho
Temples
Khajuraho,
the temple city of central India, is famous throughout the world for its
exquisitely carved temples in stones. Thousands of visitors and tourists from
all over the world flock together to envisage this immortal saga of Hindu art
and culture engraved in stone by shilpies (stone craftsmen) a millenia ago.
Today, apart from the temples, Khajuraho is a small village but a thousand years
ago it was a large city of the Chandelas, medieval Rajput kings who ruled over
Central India. Khajuraho is 595 km (370 miles) south-east of Delhi and can be
visited by air, rail or road. An overnight train journey from Delhi takes the
visitor to Jhansi, from where another morning train takes him to Harpalpur 85
km (53 miles) to the east.
According
to the account of the medieval court poet, Chandbardai, in the Mahoba-khand
of his Prithviraj Raso, Hemvati was the beautiful daughter of Hemraj, the royal
priest of Kashi (Varanasi). One summer night, while she was bathing in the sparkling
waters of a lotus-filled pond, the Moon god was so awestruck by her beauty that
he descended to earth in human form and ravished her.
The distressed Hemvati, who was unfortunately a child widow, threatened to curse
the god for ruining her life and reputation. To make amends for his folly the
Moon god promised that she would become the mother of a valiant son.
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