Khajuraho at a Glance
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.
The temples lay forgotten for many centuries, covered by the encroaching forests,
victim to the ravages of the elements. Re-discovered only in this century, restored
and claned, the temples of Khajuraho once again testify to a past glory.
Architecturally too, they are unique, being very different from the temple prototype
of their period. Each stands on a high masonry platform with a marked upward
direction in the structure, further enhanced by vertical projections to create
the effect of grace and lightness.
Each of the chief compartments is mounted by its own roof, grouped so that the
highest is in the centre, the lowest over the portico; a highly imaginative
recreation of the rising peaks of the Himalayas, abode of the gods.
The three main compartments are the entrance (ardha-mandapa), assembly hall
(mandapa) and sanctum (garbha griha), with further additions in the more developed
temples.
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