Archaeological
Museum, Khajuraho
Khajuraho, once capital of the Chandela dynasty, is today known for its magnificent
temples. In 1910 W E Jardine, the then political agent ofBundelkhand, displayed
a collection of objects which he had gathered from the temple complex, in an
open air enclosure near the western group of temples. First called the Jardine
Museum, the name changed to Archaeological Museum in 1952.
Sculpture and architectural panels and friezes dating to the 10
th
and 12
th century correspond to the temple styles and are mainly Brahmanical
and Jain in influence. However, the seated Buddha figure indicates the existence
of a Buddhist shrine here which has long since disappeared. Most of the 2000
objects are masterpieces of Indian sculpture. The
Nritta Gansha, a. colossal
image depicts the elephant headed god dancing while his attendants keep the
rhythm; a marvellous Hari-Haro representing the deity whose right half is Shiva
and left Vishnu manifests the perfectly conceived unity of the two gods.
Also o view is the
Uma-Maheshwara, frozen in perpetual embrace; the Jain
goddess Ambika under a mango tree laden with fruit which monkeys are eating;
the lain
sasana-devi Manovega holding a spiral lotus stalk and the upright
Adinatha, the first Jain tirthankara. An unusual piece is the four-headed Vishnu,
Vaikuntha. The central head is human, while the other three are
Narasimha
(lion),
Varaha (boar) and
Hayagrim (horse). There is also a bracket
where an
apsara wrings her wet hair while a goose stands below drinking
the drops of the water. Other outstanding pieces are a huge Parvati, Shiva as
Andhakasuravadhamurti where the deity is shown weilding his trishul on
a demon, a seated
Bhairava and
Sadashiva..
Archaeological Museum
Khajuraho
Timing: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Open on all days.
Interested
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Archaeological Museum, Khajuraho
