KHAJURAHO TEMPLES

KHAJURAHO TEMPLES

Built over a span of 100 years, 950 AD to 1050 AD, in bursts of creativity, the Khajuraho temples has been inscribed on the World Heritage List for their outstanding universal value and human creative genius. The mural depicts the life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being. Khajuraho or Khajur Vahika derives its name from the golden gate palms abound a plenty in the region. Khajuraho is not just another sleepy hamlet of India, but a tourist paradise where thousands of tourists every year throng the place. The 25 Indo-Aryan architecture styled temples do the explanation. The explicit sexual friezes in fine sandstone and granite, ever since Khajurahos rediscovery by the East India company military officer, TS Burt, in 1839, spawn an uninhibited carnal celebration. An Insight

History Of KhajurahoHistory says the Rajput rulers Chandelas, ordered and aided the construction of Khajuraho temples while they reigned over the area now known as Bundelkhand region. With the wane of the Chandela Empire, these magnificent temples lay neglected, and vulnerable to the ravages of nature. It was only in this century, that they were rediscovered and restored, though only 25 of the original 85 survived and stand in varying stages of preservation. The Chandelas were believers of the Tantric cult, which emphasizes that gratification of earthly desires is a step towards attaining ultimate liberation.

The Khajuraho temples are a pinnacle of the North IndianNagaraarchitectural style.TheNagarastyle's primary feature is a central tower called as a shikharawhose highest point is directly over the temple's primary deity. This is oftensurrounded by smaller, subsidiary tower called urushringaand intermediate towers; which naturally draw the eye up to the highest point, like a series of hills leading to a distant peak. Setting the temple on a raised basecalled as adhisthana also shifts the eye upward, and promotes this vertical quality.

Architectural elements.Peculiarities of Khajuraho TemplesAll the compartments of the temple are interconnected internally as well as externally and are planned in one axis, running east-west, andforminga compact unified 'mukha-mandapa', 'mandapa', 'antarala' and 'garbha-griha', are present in all temples.Theclusteringtogether of subsidiary peaks to the main one not only lightens the weight of the stupendous pile but also intensifies the vertical accent of the main 'sikhara'.

The Khajuraho temple has pronouncedly individual features. The sanctum is 'saptaratha' on plan and in elevation, and thecubicalportion below the 'sikhara' is divided into sevensegments(saptanga-bada).

The numerous projections and recesses of the elevation, following rhythmically the indentations of the plan, produce an admirable contrast of light and shade.

With an enormous array of lovely sculptured forms ever present, the texture of the Khajuraho temple vibrates with a rare exuberance of human warmth, which is unparalleled in any other art.

The Khajuraho temple is unique in showing a 'saptaratha' sanctum with a 'saptanga-bada', which marks the highest development of Indian architectural design

ThePanchayatnapuja - involving the worship of five deities Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Surya and Ganesha was highly prevalent in Khajuraho, as evidenced from the panchayatna temples - each with a main shrine and four subsidiary shrines scattered around the landscape.

Geographically they are categorized into three parts:Eastern group of temples.Southern group of temples:Western group of temples: Shiva and Vishnu temples.

The TemplesThere are three groups of temples at Khajuraho.

The Western group temples of Shiva and Vishnu. the earliest and most important. A relatively small area (200 x 300 yards) most architecturally significant temples--the Lakshmana (built around 950 C.E.), the Vishvanatha (about 1000 C.E.), and the Kandariya Mahadev temple (about 1025 C.E)--as well as smaller temples including the Mahadeva, Devi Jagadamba , and Chitragupta

The northern groupVaishnava temples for the most part

the eastern group consists of Jain temples.

theSouthern Group the Duladeo and Caturbhuj temples.

WESTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES

KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE

The Kandariya Mahadeva templeErected towards the middle of the eleventh century by one of the kings of the Chandella dynasty, this great Shiva temple represents the Nagara style

The circumstances of plate, time, age and height of mastery of architecture and sculpture confirm that this is one of the unsurpassed achievements of Hindu art.

It belongs to the early eleventh century, and is probably the work of Vidyadhara (ca. 1004-35) under whom the Chandella kingdom reached the height of its prosperity.

Taking its name from the word kandara, or cave, the KandariyaMahadeva temple is the tallest monument at Khajuraho, its spire rising more than 30.5 metres above the lofty plinth on which the temple is elevated.

The temple faces east and extends some 30.5 metres in length and 20 metres in width. Like other fully developed Chandella temples at Khajuraho, it consists of a linear east-west sequence of access steps, entrance porch, columned hall with side balconies, and linga shrine with encircling passageway, off which open three additional balconies. These balconies bring porches. The porches serve as balconies with high seating, bringing ventilation and light to the interior.

What distinguishes the KandariyaMahadeva temple from the other monuments a Khajuraho is its grand scale and elaboration of design and ornamentation. Moreover, its indented plan with numerous projections and recesses create a visual rhythm, accentuated by the bright sunshine and shadow, that is carried up into the elevation of the building.

Architectural elememts

The component towered elements of the KandariyaMahadeva expand outwards from the core shaft to create a dramatic geometric massing that is unsurpassed in North Indian architecture.

Temple:

Equally significant in the overall conception of the temple is the sculptural treatment of its outer walls, which are covered with images of the god Shiva, to whom the monument is dedicated, in the company of consorts, attendants and lesser divinities. Important among the images here are the non manifest-manifest aspect of the god, including those who subdues the blind demon, the cosmic dancer, and the destroyer of the triple demon cities.

The internal includes delicately designed hallways while the sanctum includes a stone sacred linga. The area has an exclusive four-footed (also known as chatushpada) picture, termed as the sacred Sadashiva. The four legs of the Lord Sadashiva signify the four areas or amazing padas of the Lord Shaiva spiritual program. The BhagvanSadashiva is a way of Master Shiva that represents obvious as well as unobvious element and is regarded to be the greatest deity among the sacred Shaivaites.

Along with the stone holy linga, the key sections of the sanctum have statues and designs illustrating three different types of Master Shiva: renowned Subduer of the sightless devil, Andhaka, the cosmic professional dancer great Natesha and sacred Tripurantaka, ruining the three devil places.

Sculptures:

The sculptures are arranged in three tiers on the outside, amounting to no less than 646 figures in all, not counting the 226 figures of the interior. The famous erotic groups for which the temple is well known are placed on the juncture of the walls of the mandapa and the passageway surrounding the sanctuary, marking one of the most ritually vulnerable parts of the monument. Among the other images are those of female deities, such as the seven mothers, let alone the countless apsaras who are shown in alluring postures that reveal the mastery of the Khajuraho artists .

SOUTHERN GROUP OF TEMPLESDULHADEO TEMPLEDULADEO

Built in circa AD 1100-1150devoted to Lord Shiva This sacred Shaiva Temple, typically known as the forehead of great Duladeo or sacred Kunwar Math is located southern of the Khajuraho town.Also known as, the Groom Temple,there is a picture of Shiva on the lintel of the entry to the underground garbhagriha and the sanctum has a holy Shivlingam. The facades of this forehead bring reps of the pictures of status Shiva as well as Shiva-Parvati.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple is categorized as anirandharatemple.Nirandharameans a layout without the ambulatory path consisting of a sanctum without an ambulatory, a vestibule, main hall (maha-mandapa), and an entrance porch. The layout of the temple does not have a circumambulatory passage which is probably due to the fact that it was the last of the temples built in the 12th century during the reign of Chandelas, when the peak period of their construction phase had already passed.[The temple pinnacle (SHIKARA) is created in three rows of minorshikharas. Its features are in general conformity with those adopted for the other temples in the Khajuraho complex. The classification according to the physical characteristics of the monuments consists of a raised base which is a sub structure over which the richly decorated structure rises and is covered with rich sculptures. The main hall in the temple is very large and octagonal in shape. Its ceiling has elegantly carved celestial dancers (APSARAS). There are twenty such brackets carved with the apsaras, with two or three apsaras next to each other in each bracket, and arranged in the ceiling in acorbelledcircle.A striking sculpture is of a profile carving of a celestial dancer in the inner passage of the temple hemmed between buttresses, which has decoration of a necklace with hands poised as if to throw a dice.[A figure of Shiva is carved on the lintel at the entrance to the sanctum (garbhagriha). The central icon of thelingain the sanctum is not the original but a duplicate, as the original is untraced.[Worship is offered at the temple by the local people. A unique feature of the depictions on the linga is that it has 999 more lingas carved all around its surface. Its religious significance is that going round the linga would amount to taking ofcircumambulationa 1,000 times around it.The architecture copies the old style as it was built at the end of the Chandela period, and hence the sculptures are stated to be wooden and stereotyped compared with other earlier temples in the complex.However, the elegance and grace of the figurines of women are more like pin-ups and there are also few figurines in the erotic poses of couples engrossed in love (mithuna).SCULPTURES:

EASTERN GROUP OF TEMPLESPARSHAVANATH TEMPLEADINATH TEMPLEPARSHVANATHA TEMPLEThe Jain temples are the most important temples in the Eastern Group at Khajuraho, and probably date from the late 11th century. One difference with Khajuraho's other temples is that the temple's primary images are not Hindu deities, but JaintirthankarsThis temple is now dedicated to Parshvanath, the 23rdtirthankarAnother clear difference is in the architectural style, at least for this temple, which has openings at both sides.Built in the 10th centuryInspite of being a jain temple it shares the sculptures and architecture of hindu temples of khajuraho depicting the chandela art.Orignally tis temple was dedicated to god adinatha who was represented as a bull. This was later replaced by an image of parshvanatha in 1860.Measuring 20m by 11 mLies in a walled enclosureOuter wall of the temple is embellished with 3 bands of graceful sculptures depicting hindu gods and apsarasThe temple is oblong on plan with axial projections on two the east and westThe projection on the east acts as the entrance while the one on the west consists of a shrine attached to the sanctum.It is a sandhara temple; absence of balconied windows

Despite their less-intense erotic content, the Jain temples carvings include some of Khajuraho's most famous, partly because they illustrate everyday life. At the right is woman putting collyrium (lampblack) on her eyes--not only as a cosmetic (like mascara), but also because it was (and still is) believed to be good for the eyes. At left is a young woman looking into a hand mirror and fussing with her hair--a familiar feminine gesture that transcends time and place.

ADINATH TEMPLEThe second ancient Jain temple is dedicated to the first Jaintirthankar,Adinath. This is much smaller than the Parshvanath temple, and although the outside is richly and intricately carved, the figures are much smaller.This temple has been extensively damaged and repaired; the tower dates from the 11th century, but the entry porch in front was added much later, creating an incongruous combination