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| Home > Indian Sculptures > Hindu Sculptures > Khajuraho
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| | Khajuraho
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Khajuraho
 The Khajuraho is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India.
The name Khajuraho is known to allover the world for its architecture of temples, and sculpture. Mainly the Khajuraho is famous for their erotic sculptures. The temples of glorious tradition of artistic values are the state`s most famous attraction. Total 85 temples were built in that period but unfortunately only 22 are able to survive today.
The construction of the Khajuraho temple is an art of thousand-year old took a little over two centuries. The architectural style of these temples shows the high peak of the north Indian `nagara` style of temple. Out of 22,many temples are in splendid condition. Khajuraho is visited each year by tourists from all over the world.
The sculptures of this world famous place include statues of various Hindu gods and goddesses, warriors, celestial dancers and animals, & also the couples in erotic poses. It seems that the underlying theme of these sculptures is based on the Hindu philosophy of Yoga and Bhoga i.e. physical pleasure. These two are considered as the paths of leading to the final liberation.
 From the sculptures, it reflects the celebration of a Hindu faith that is exuberant in its love for the divine. As per this, all life of a human being was seen as an expression of divinity, even human love was not considered as an exception. Therefore, the union between man and woman was seen as the culmination of devotion. Even it was viewed as symbolic of the union of the devotee with god and divinity. Besides exotic sculpture, the other sculptures in these temples were chiefly depicting the daily lives of the people in the 10th and 11th centuries AD.
History
It is rightly said that Khajuraho invokes the mind & fires the process of imagination.
From past many years, Art historians have tried to find out a solution to the mystery of Khajuraho, but all attempts in this direction are eventually guesswork. Because there are no firm records to reveal the purpose for the building of these temples.
Ancient periods are often deeply rooted in mystery. This is largely because hardly any written records or firm evidences are preserved from that time. And, in case of India, myth and legend weave the fabric with time into the history of their origin and their reign.
 And if the legacy about the dynasty left behind is as contradictory as the Khajuraho temples, that present a mixture of the religious and the sensuous values, the accompanying legends becomes more colourful.
In ancient times, Khajuraho or `Khajur-vahika` means bearer of date palms, was also known as `Khajjurpura`. The name is evidently derived from the golden date palms i.e.khajur that were adorning the gates of Khajuraho.
The legend
The creators of Khajuraho are claimed as the descent of the moon. The legend in this relation describes that the origin of this great Chandela dynasty is very much fascinating. The moon god while bathing in the Rati one evening once seduced Hemavati, the beautiful & young daughter of a Brahmin priest.
And the child was born of this union between a mortal and a god was a son of named Chandravarman. The child was harassed by society, so the unmarried mother went in the dense forest of central India. At this place, the upbringing of the child was continued with lessons given by a Guru to her young son.
 The boy was the founder of the great Chandela dynasty. After establishing as the ruler, he saw a dream of his mother for imploring him to build temples that would reveal human passions, and through it bring a vision about a realization of the emptiness of human desire. And from obeying this message, Chandravarman began the construction of the first of the temples and successive rulers added in the construction of stone carving.
The carvings on walls of Khajuraho are claimed as an example of erotic art form. But certainly, that the carving of stone on temples represent the expression of a highly matured civilization.
Yet another answer to the eroticism is that the erotica of Khajuraho, and indeed of other temples, follows a specific purpose. As in those days when boys lived in hermitages as per the Hindu law of being "brahmacharis" until they attained manhood, to prepare themselves for the worldly role of `householder` was the only way that is through the study of these sculptures and the earthly passions they depicted through carvings.
Architecture of Khajuraho
Khajuraho temples in Central India are most illustrious manifestations that represent the skills of Indian architecture. These are from the 10th-11th century, represent religiosity, patronage with artistic genius and aesthetic sensibility in its over all appearance.
 These temples are neglected for a long period; maybe in first glance these seem to be lost into obscurity. It is believed that these were constructed during the Chandela rule, but the temples belong to Shaivism and Vaishnavism sects of Hinduism, Jainism and `tantrism`.
One striking difference is seen in these temples - enclosure wall for surrounding the temples is absolutely absent and each temple is constructed on a high and solid raised masonry platform.
Though can not be said as huge, these temples are having elegant proportions. The sculptures on their exteriors and interiors adorned the temples.
The walled sculptures in these temples include the depiction of numerous deities, their attendants, celestial maidens somewhere in sensuous positions and provocative postures, embracing couples - some of them are in erotic sexual positions, dancers and musicians and couples engaged in love.
Surprisingly, only one temple consists of over six hundred and fifty such figures ranging from sensual and warm depictions to explicit sexual activity. Some of the historians believe that the sexual activities of these figures are employed for illustrating the tantric rites. However, some of these much-famed or much-notorious sexual postures, according to some are said to follow the ancient Indian manual of art of making love, the Kama Sutra.
Khajuraho temples are constructed mainly with spiral superstructures with adhering to northern Indian shikhara temple style. But few temples are dedicated to the Jain pantheon and the rest are showing to Hindu deities - to God`s Trio, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and various Devi forms.
The Panchayatana temple format is also seen in some temples. A Panchayatana temple is marked with four subordinate shrines, each at four corners of temple and the main shrine is in the center of the scene, comprising the base.
All the temples are for the purpose of geographical divisions grouped into three: western, eastern and southern. A rise secondary shikharas (spires) are used to create appropriate base for the main shikhara over the sanctum. The most accomplished temples of Kandariya Mahadeva, from the Western group, comprises of eighty-four shikharas. And the main shikharas is at the 116 feet from the ground level. These shikharas - including subordinate and main helps in giving the Khajuraho temples their unique splendor and special character.
With a graded rise made in the construction of these shikharas from over the ardhamandapa (porch) to mandapa, (assembly hall), mahamandapa (principal assembly hall), antarala (vestibule) and garbhagraha (sanctum sanctorum), Khajuraho temples attain the unique form and glory of gradually rising Himalayan peaks.
Erotic Sculptures Of Khajuraho
As stated before, The name of Khajuraho is derived from khajura i.e.date palm, which grows freely in the contemporary surrounding. The old name was Kharjuravahaka means scorpion bearer, as the scorpion is primarily symbolizing poisonous lust.
 The temples were built between 950 and 1050 AD in the truly inspired weave of creativity. The Chandela kings were followers of the tantric cult with holding a belief that gratification made in the earthly desires can lead to a step towards attaining the ultimate liberation. People have mostly misunderstood tantrism and the part of philosophical tantras like the Mahanirvana tantra have been totally forgotten. But some of the main point regarding the exotic sculpture that are marked in Khajuraho are as follows:
1. The strong emphasize must be given that temples of Khajuraho do not contain any sexual themes that is carved in stone inside the premises of temples or near the deity. But instead, such depiction is seen only on external carvings of walls of the temples.
They chiefly portray & insist on the fact that for `seeing the deity`; one must leave all his sexual desires outside the temple. They also pass on the message that the deity in inside of the temple is as pure as the soul of the man. And is unaffected by any desire, destiny etc.
2. Almost as many as 10% of the total carvings contain sexual themes as the subject of presentation & is not between any deities but between ordinary humans. And a large proportion of sculpture depicts the common man`s life in those days. For example women busy in applying makeup, musicians with their instruments, potters, farmers etc. And all these are carved away from temple deities to symbolizing the truth - one should always have God as the central point in the life of him, even though virtually he is engaged in worldly activities.
3. In Khajuraho temples, the idols of all respected Gods like Shiva, Nandi, Goddess like Durga, or the incarnations of Vishnu etc are carved in fully clothed appearance.
The Khajuraho village is surrounded by the series of mountains. Out of 22 temples only two are made from sandstone. And the rest of all are created in stones where the stone blocks are carved with designs first and then the interlocking of these blocks are assembled to form a temple. Each temple appears as different from the another.
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